


Fragile

by AgentLin



Series: Handle With Care [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 05:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5362310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentLin/pseuds/AgentLin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sunlight peeked in through the window warming Stiles’s face. He groaned and turned over in his bed. He knew it was a school day but he didn’t want to go. Maybe if he just stayed in bed then he could stay home and take a day off.</p><p>“Oh shit!”</p><p>    His eyes shot open when he heard the screams from downstairs. He jumped out of bed and grabbed some pants on the way out. As Stiles stumbled down stairs he put them on and then bursts into the kitchen.</p><p>    There he found Theo holding a spatula and making pancakes. The bowl with the batter had spilled over and was dripping off the side of the counter and the pancakes on the pan were starting to burn.</p><p>“Surprise?!” Theo said with a small smile.</p><p>“Well...I’m definitely surprised.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

    _The sunlight peeked in through the window warming Stiles’s face. He groaned and turned over in his bed. He knew it was a school day but he didn’t want to go. Maybe if he just stayed in bed then he could stay home and take a day off._

_“Oh shit!”_

_His eyes shot open when he heard the screams from downstairs. He jumped out of bed and grabbed some pants on the way out. As Stiles stumbled down stairs he put them on and then bursts into the kitchen._

_There he found Theo holding a spatula and making pancakes. The bowl with the batter had spilled over and was dripping off the side of the counter and the pancakes on the pan were starting to burn._

_“Surprise?!” Theo said with a small smile._

_“Well...I’m definitely surprised.”_

_“Yeah.” Theo scratched the back of his head as he looked around at the mess he made. “I wanted to make you breakfast in bed...and things just didn’t go my way.”_

_“I would have been fine with some toaster waffles.”_

_“Good to know.”_

_Stiles only laughed and grabbed a rag from the cabinets below the counter. He started cleaning up the mess of pancake batter and turned off the stove. Theo took his advice and grabbed some frozen waffles from the freezer. He placed them in the toaster and leaned against the counter watching Stiles clean._

_“Sorry I woke you up.” Theo said._

_“No, it’s fine. I probably wouldn’t have gotten up unless you screamed.”_

_“I should probably work on my cooking skills.”_

_“Or maybe you should stop trying to be over the top with simple things, like breakfast.”_

_“You’ve been working your butt off this last week with finals coming up. I thought maybe you could have a break.”_

_“Breakfast in bed isn’t a break, it’s just sweet.”_

_“I knew I should have gotten chocolate covered strawberries.”_

_“Next time.”_

_The waffles popped up from the toaster. Theo grabbed a plate from the top cabinet and put the waffles on it. Then he put another two in the toaster. He put the plate on then kitchen table then grabbed the other essentials for breakfast, milk, syrup, and blueberries._

_He set up the table then grabbed some glasses. He filled each with milk and then grabbed the other two waffles when they were done. Stiles grabbed two plates and place them next to each other. When everything was set they sat down and ate._

_After breakfast they cleaned up and went upstairs to change. Stiles’ dad usually leaves early in the morning so he’s not around when Stiles wakes up. When he’s ready he grabs his backpack and heads down to the garage. Theo jumps into the passenger seat as Stiles starts the car, then they’re off to school._

♥♥♥♥♥

    _When they enter school the hallways were packed with students moving around. Some heading to their lockers, others to see friends and others just walking about._

_“I’ll see you in a bit.” Theo said and gave Stiles a quick kiss on the cheek._

_Theo went off to his own locker to grab his things and Stiles headed towards his own. He only had three classes in the morning before lunch then another three. After Stiles got his things for the morning he closed his locker and saw Theo leaning against the locker next to his._

_“Miss me?” Theo asked._

_“Of course. Now come on we’ve got History in four minutes.”_

_The two walk down the halls heading to their first period class together. They got into the classroom and sat in the back in the last two chairs. Class soon started and both boys had their notebooks out, but it didn’t take long before Theo started talking._

_“How many times does one learn time and time again about the American Civil War. I mean we’re in California, were we even a state back then?”_

_“Well maybe if you paid attention in class you would know the answer to that.” Stiles said._

_“Yeah I guess, but I always have your notes to look over.”_

_“What if I don’t share.”_

_Theo made puppy eyes at Stiles. “Would you really say no to me?”_

_“Stop it with the pleading eyes.” Stiles said._

_“Stiles? Would you really not share.”_

_“Oh stop it, you know I would.”_

_“That’s what I thought. You can’t deny me.”_

_“Or can I?”_

_“You wanna test that theory.” Theo questioned._

_“If I had the time.”_

_Throughout the rest of the class the two of them would silently talk but still take notes. They had all their classes together which was great for both of them. At lunch time they went outside and sat down at the benches._

_“You know being the son of the Sheriff is cool and all but you should have more fun with it.” Theo said._

_“What do you mean?”_

_“Oh, I don’t know maybe steal a patrol car and go cruising.”_

_“No! I can’t just steal police property. My dad wouldn’t even try to defend me. He’d just throw me in a cell.”_

_“You never know until you try.”_

_“Seriously Theo, it’s a bad idea.”_

_“Or is it?”_

_Stiles sighed grabbed his apple and bit into it. He kept telling Theo ‘no’ with every reckless idea he came up with. After lunch they went to their last three classes of the day. And once again Theo was distracting as ever._

_“This is so boring.” Theo whispered._

_“Yeah, but we need the credits to graduate remember.”_

_“I’m sure there are other ways for you to graduate.”_

_“How so?”_

_“I could you know.” Theo made a fist with his hand._

_“No. We’re not hurting or blackmailing anyone. I mean what’s the point anyway?”_

_“So we could ditch class and spend some more time together.”_

_“You’re delusional.”_

_Theo only giggled at Stiles's comment._

_“Mr. Stilinski is there a problem back there?” The teacher asked._

_Stiles looked up to see all eyes on him. He glanced over at Theo who was still giggling. But then he stopped and looked all innocently at Stiles._

_“No, no problem at all.” Stiles said._

_The class begun again and the students looked away from him. Once all attention was back on the board Stiles scolded Theo._

_“See what happens when you distract me.” He said._

_“Nothing too bad as far as I’m concerned.”_

_The last few classes of the day flew by and next thing he knew Stiles was at his locker grabbing his things and getting ready to go home. As Stiles was getting his things from his locker Malia came up to him._

_“Hey Stiles.” She said._

_“Hey.” He responded._

_“I haven’t seen you all day.”_

_“Yeah, you know how school is.”_

_“Well I was thinking maybe we could study together today. You know since we’ve got that History test tomorrow.”_

_“Thanks, but no thanks. Me and Theo are studying today.”_

_“Oh, okay then. See you tomorrow.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_Stiles watched as Malia went down the hall and when he turned back Theo was there waiting for him. He had that loving grin on his face as he looked at Stiles._

_“What was that all about?” He asked._

_“Nothing, Malia just wanted to study together but I’ve already got you.”_

_“Yeah you do. Now lets go, I hate being in school longer than necessary.”_

_Theo put his arm around Stiles and they walked out to the parking lot. Again Stiles drove with Theo at his side. When they got home they put their things on the kitchen table and got to doing their homework. Theo grabbed some snacks from the kitchen and they spent the next two hours there._

_“Hey what you get for number five on the math homework?” Stiles asked._

_“Um, I got six pi over four.”_

_“Yeah I got three pi over two. So I’m good.”_

_“What? How?”_

_“I simplified, unlike you.”_

_“Oh.”_

_Once homework was done they headed upstairs and Theo hopped into the shower first. When he finished he threw the towel at Stiles. Afterwards they both snuggled up on the bed to do some last studying before bed._

_Theo sat in the middle of the bed sitting against the headboard with Stiles wrapped in his arms. Stiles leaned against him, resting his head on his chest and snuggling up to him. They were all dressed for bed but wanted to go over some notes before bed. As Stiles read aloud some of his notes his dad knocked on the door and came in._

_“Hey kiddo, you ready for bed?”_

_“Yeah, me and Theo are just doing some last bit of studying.”_

_“Alright, but I want lights out in fifteen.”_

_“You got it.”_

_He smiled before closing the door behind him._

_“Turn the page.” Stiles said._

_Theo had been holding the notebook in front of Stiles as he read. He turned the page and Stiles continued his reading. When they finished going through the notes Stiles put his notebook back in his backpack and the boys laid down in bed._

_Theo kept his arms wrapped around Stiles’s as he spooned him. He waited till Stiles got comfortable before settling down. Stiles grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers over his chest. Then he reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.  
_

_“Goodnight Theo.”_

_“Goodnight Stiles.”_

_Theo placed a small kiss on Stiles’s head before closing his eyes and letting sleep consume him._

♥♥♥♥♥

    _The next morning Malia went looking for Scott before class. She looked around the halls but soon caught his scent and found him by his locker._

_“Hey Scott can I ask you something?” She said.  
_

_“Yeah, what’s up?”_

_“Who’s Theo?”_

_Scott went silent and avoided the question as he grabbed the rest of his things. He closed his locker and sighed._

_“Theo is...Theo is Stiles’s imaginary friend.”_

_Malia giggled at first but when she saw how serious Scott was her expression changed to concern._

_“You’re serious? Isn’t he too old for that?”_

_“I guess, if you see it like that.” Scott said._

_“How...how long has he had him?”_

_“Ever since his mom died.”_

_“That was years ago. Shouldn’t we be helping him to you know, let go or something. I mean he’s a senior, he’s graduating this year.”_

_Scott only shrugged and began walking down the hall with Malia at his side._

_“I...well the Sheriff and I tried a while back but it didn’t work out so well. See we didn’t know just what Theo was for Stiles. I mean don’t get me wrong it’s not a regular thing. Sometimes Stiles would go months without talking to Theo but the thing is...Theo helps him with the trauma he’s been through.”_

_“Trauma?”_

_“Yeah, like when his mom died Stiles created Theo to help him get through the pain since sometimes I couldn’t do much and neither could his dad. He...well Theo makes him really happy so we just leave it alone. Eventually Stiles will lessen the attention he gives Theo, but I do ask you to just leave him.”_

_“But it doesn’t seem right. I mean what traumatic thing has happened to him recently.”_

_“The Nogitsune?”_

_“That was months ago Scott. I mean right now.”_

_“It’s not just when trauma happens that Theo comes around. Stiles sometimes gets flashes and I can’t always be there when those happen. He has Theo for a reason.”_

_“Yeah, you’re right.”_

_As the two walked down the hall they saw Stiles. He was smiling and laughing at some joke as he walked down the hall...all by himself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not all lovey dovey, gotta have angst but anyway I had this very big idea and I thought I'd write up the first chapter to see what you guys think. If you want more tell me and I'll get working on the next chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

_The next morning Stiles was the one who made breakfast. Theo leaned against the counter as Stiles poured some pancake batter onto the pan. His arms were crossed and there was some slight worry on his face. Lately Stiles hasn't been sleeping well but he always ignores it and goes about his day._

_“You know you can talk to me right.” Theo said. “About anything.”_

_“Theo I know what you're getting at but I swear I'm fine.”_

_“I don’t think having trouble sleeping is fine. You should probably see a doctor.”_

_“For what? Everyone has trouble sleeping every now and then.”_

_“Not like you. You’ve been barely getting any rest these last couple of days. How many hours of sleep are you running on right now?”_

_“What does it matter?” Stiles said._

_“Four. That’s all you’ve been getting the last few days. How long can you keep this up before you collapse.”_

_Stiles didn’t answer and continued with his baking. He knew Theo was right but he didn’t want to talk about. He’s always had trouble sleeping, ever since he was little and to him this wasn’t anything unusual. But Theo, Theo knew him well enough to know that this wasn’t like before._

_But even if he really cared he knew when to stop. Theo sighed and decided it was best to change the subject. Stiles would talk to him when he was ready, till then he just had to be patient. After breakfast they got ready for school just like any other day and headed out._

_This time Theo stayed with Stiles. He’s been getting more worried about him so leaving him alone was no longer an option. They got to school with about fifteen minutes of free time before the first bell._

_“Do you think you’re ever gonna miss school?” Theo asked._

_Stiles only laughed. “Why would I ever miss it. School sucks.”_

_“It’s just a question.”_

_“Yeah, but right now I need to focus on the answers to other questions. Still got that history test in like ten minutes.”_

_“You’ll be fine. Besides you’ve been studying all week, you got this and me.”_

_“So you’re my cheat cheat now?”_

_“I’ve always been.”_

_“Yeah, it’s just fun to say that word.”_

_They both went over to the class and like before they sat in the back, except Theo didn’t sit. The other day Jane had been absent leaving the seat next to Stiles empty. Theo had taken it before but today he just leaned against the back wall. The teacher told everyone to clear off their desks and get ready for the test._

_The teacher then went down the aisle placing the tests on each students desk. They had the whole period to complete it but once that bell rang their time was up, whether they were finished or not. Stiles looked over the entire test first, a total of 172 questions._

_“Who the hell does this guy think he is?” Theo said while looking over Stiles’ shoulder. “Does he really think you’ll finish this in an hour?”_

_“I could try.”_

_“You’ll be fine.”_

_Stiles rolled his eyes but began taking his test. He had been studying hard so everything should go by smoothly, except Theo was a bit of a distraction. At first he just remained on the back wall but the silence was killing him. He walked over and looked down at Stiles’ test._

_“The answer is C.”_

_“Shut up.” Stiles whispered._

_“Come on, I’m just helping, the sooner you’re done the better.” Theo said. “I did the math you have about 20 seconds on each problem.”_

_“You’re not helping.”_

_“Technically I am, next one is B by the way.”_

_For the rest of the class Theo gave Stiles answers to questions he got stumped on. Even if he felt like he was cheating he really wasn’t. By the time the bell rang Stiles had been done for a good ten minutes. Many students were aggravated when the bell rang but Stiles happily got up and walked out of the classroom._

_Theo laughed as he followed behind him. He wrapped an arm around Stiles and told him how well he did and that he never had to worry about anything. Stiles thanked him and they headed off to the next class where Stiles would most likely ignore the teacher._

_He did wander off in the class barely paying attention to the teacher. The stress of the test was gone now and all Theo could do was distract him with silly questions._

_“A million dollars but every time you sneeze you teleport somewhere in the world.” Theo said._

_“Really? Well...no, that’s way too complicated.”_

_“You have enough money to travel the world.”_

_“So you expect me to carry like a thousand dollars on me at all times? What if I get mugged?”_

_“Sneeze your way out of it.”_

_“It’s hard to sneeze on command you know that right.”_

_“Alright so you’re answer is no?”_

_“Hell no.”_

_“Okay, so a million dollars but every time you hear someone singing happy birthday you have to go over there and eat the whole cake.”_

_“What kind of scenario is that?”_

_“A funny one.” Theo scoffed._

_“A whole cake...gosh and what if as I’m eating one cake another person is getting cake and they start singing.”_

_“You have to eat that one too.”_

_“Oh gosh, no, I don’t think I could handle that much cake.”_

_This little game of ‘a million dollars but’ continued through the next class. It wasn’t only till the lunch time bell rang that the game came to an end. As they left the class Theo came up with one last scenario._

_“Alright last one.” He said. “A million dollars but for the rest of your life your dick glows like 250 watt bulb.”_

_“What kind of question is that?” Stiles asked, completely baffled this time._

_“It’s a scenario. Just give me an answer.”_

_“Dude but imagine getting up in the middle of the night to pee or going to a urinal in public.”_

_“I wanna see if you’d do this for a million dollars.”_

_“Well...what color is the light?”_

_“Um...you can pick.”_

_“Oh, so can I change it.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Cool, then I could totally use my dick as a disco bulb and swing it around at parties.”_

_“So is that a yes?” Theo asked giggling at the thought of Stiles swinging his multi colored glowing dick._

_“Yeah, I’d do it.”_

_“Alright glowing dick and a million bucks, have fun with that.”_

_The boys walked down the hall heading towards their destination but Theo realized they were going the wrong way._

_“Where are you going? The lunch room’s the other way.”_

_“Yeah I’m not really that hungry. I thought I’d use my free time to practice since you know lacrosse starts up again soon.”_

_“But you need to eat.”_

_“Don’t worry I got some snacks in my backpack.”_

_“Stiles-”_

_“Come on already.”_

_Stiles kept walking and Theo stayed where he was for a bit watching him leave. He sighed but then followed after him. On the lacrosse field Stiles practice shooting since that was what he thought to be his biggest problem, aim._

_Theo stayed by his side watching him shoot. He missed more times than he actually scored. But Stiles was determined and tried the best he could even if he didn’t seem to be improving. At some point Theo grabbed a stick and started shooting too. He missed practically every shot._

_“You should join.” Stiles said._

_Theo laughed. “And how in the hell would that work? It’s not even a good idea.”_

_“You’re right I’d embarrassed you with my skills.”_

_“Yeah there you go. I am nothing compared to you.”_

_They continued shooting and talking till they began to hear laughter. Stiles turned back to see some of the other lacrosse players by the bleachers laughing at him._

_“Still can’t shoot for nothing Stilinski.” One of them shouted._

_“Yeah, you’re just a bench warmer, stick to that.” Another yelled._

_Theo looked over to Stiles and saw the annoyance in his eyes. His boy was tired and didn’t have the strength to really do much. He knew if the comments kept coming Stiles would go feral especially since there wasn’t anyone else around but it would end badly._

_Instead Theo used his lacrosse stick to throw a ball at one of the guys head. The guy fell over and the others immediately stopped laughing. Stiles looked over to Theo with amazement at what he had just done._

_“Save those skills for the field.” A guy yelled._

_The other boys helped their friend to his feet and headed off back to the building._

_“Thanks.” Stiles said._

_“You should be using those skills when you actually play, not to beat off idiots.” Theo said._

_“Yeah but a different scenario brings out a different side of me.”_

_“I’m aware.”_

_♥♥ ♥ ♥♥_

_At lunch Malia sat with Scott and the rest of the pack. Liam was on her left and Lydia on her right. Scott sat across from her with Kira at her side. She ate quietly at first but she really wanted to talk about something._

_“Scott...I know I shouldn’t be prying but...Theo…”_

_“Let me stop you right there.” Scott said. “I understand your concern but it’s not really any of our business.”_

_“It kind of is Scott.” Lydia said. “He’s had that ‘friend’ for ten years or so. He should have let go a long time ago.”_

_“Wait who’s Theo?” Liam asked._

_“Stiles’ imaginary friend.” Malia said._

_“Wait, Stiles has an imaginary friend. Isn’t he like eighteen or something?”_

_“Exactly my point.”_

_“What exactly do you want to do?” Scott asked. “Tell him to just forget about him.”_

_“Scott I understand he’s your best friend but since he still has an imaginary friend around it could be a cry for help.” Kira said._

_“How?”_

_“You said it yourself the other day.” Malia said. “You told me Theo helps Stiles with the trauma he's been through. He has Theo because we aren’t there for him.”_

_Scott had never seen things that way. He didn’t know how to respond or what to do exactly._

_“Stiles is on the lacrosse field right now by himself.” Liam said. “Talking to himself too.”_

_“He’s talking to Theo.” Scott said in a whisper._

_“We need to talk with him Scott.” Lydia said. “Its for the best if he can let go.”_

_“I’ve tried before…”_

_“Yeah but that was some time ago. Maybe it's time we try again.” Kira said._

_“Maybe you're right.”_

_♥♥ ♥ ♥♥_

_At the end of the day Stiles rushed home and barely ate anything for dinner. A quick shower and then he was on his bed finishing his homework. Theo sat on the other side of the bed watching him._

_“Trying to sleep early today?” He asked._

_“I guess so. Thanks for what you did today.”_

_“I didn’t do anything, that was you.”_

_“From my perspective it was you.” Stiles said._

_“Well I am you.”_

_“Yeah, the better version. The one I wanna be.”_

_“Then why am I here. You can easily take charge and be whatever it is that I represent for you.”_

_“It’s not that easy. It would be like me becoming someone else.”_

_“No, you’d still be you just…”_

_“Better?”_

_“I didn’t say that.”_

_“But I know you meant it like that.”_

_Theo went over to Stiles and grabbed his notebook. He threw it to the desk on the other side of the room._

_“Hey, I wasn’t done.” Stiles complained._

_“You have english fifth period. You can finish tomorrow at lunch, but right now I have a question for you.”_

_“We already played ‘a million dollars but’ Theo.”_

_Stiles was about to get up off the bed to grab his notebook but Theo grabbed his hand and held him back._

_“Why am I here?” Theo asked._

_“What?”_

_“I was gone for a long time but then I was around when the whole Nogitsune business started. You waking up every night screaming or you ending up sleep walking through the house. You almost got out sometimes.”_

_“My dad took care of that.”_

_“I know and I was there for everything, even when you...when you weren’t in control. I was even around after it was all over, then I went away for a while. Now I’m back, why? Did something happen to you?”_

_“No...I just missed you.”_

_“Me?”_

_“Yes you, it’s...I feel better having you around. You know like someone to talk to.”_

_“Stiles you have all your friends.”_

_“But I’m not like them. They have all these cool powers and I’m just...normal.”_

_“No, you’re something else, something incredible. They may not see it but I do and one day you’re gonna be that person.”_

_“They’re not gonna like it.”_

_“I will and their opinion doesn’t matter to me or you.”_

_Stiles felt the tears building up. He never really heard words like that from anyone else. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before looking at Theo. The other boy still held his hand and lightly squeezed it._

_“You’re not real Theo.” Stiles said in hoarse voice._

_“But I am. To you I’m real and I swear things are gonna get better. It’s just right now...you know that one quote, it’s always darkest before the dawn.”_

_“Did you just quote the song ‘Help Our Souls’ by NIHILS?”_

_“That quote comes from a lot of places. Anyway you should get to sleep.”_

_Theo pulled Stiles down and pulled back the covers to tuck him in. Even if Stiles still had homework to do he knew that it was probably best for him to get some more sleep. Theo leaned down and kissed Stiles’ cheek, it felt real._

_“Good night Stiles.”_

_“Good night Theo.”_

_♥♥ ♥ ♥♥_

_The Sheriff came home to a quiet house. All the lights were off and nothing but the floorboards beneath him made noise. He placed his keys in the tray by the door and hung his coat. Then he walked into the kitchen and saw that everything was clean and put away._

_Quietly he went up the stairs and slowly opened the door to his son’s room. There he was sleeping with a little smile on his face. He wish he could have caught his son awake but it was for the best if he got some more sleep. He remembered what school was like for him and he knows it hasn’t gotten any easier for his son. He took one last look at his son peacefully sleeping in the middle of his bed like always before quietly shutting the door behind him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do I explain this...got it. So to not have confusion the way Stiles and Theo work is a little like Elliot and Mr. Robot, Stiles is Elliot and Theo is Mr. Robot. In short pretty much anything Theo physically does is something Stiles does but he just doesn't see himself doing it. I hope it kind of makes sense in that way but as you know Stiles is aware Theo's not real, or at least he knows what other people think. Thanks for reading hope you enjoy. Oh and who knows where Theo got those questions from?


	3. Chapter 3

_     Stiles tossed and turned in bed as the images filled his head. All he could see was blood oozing out of other people’s bodies but the blood wasn’t red, it was black with a bit of silver. He could see all the medical devices covered in the same dark substances and off in the distant three blurry figures stood.  _

__ _ The figures fritzed like a bad tv signal and slowly they began to moved forward, heading towards him. There was nothing he could do but watch as the figures got closer but he still couldn’t make out there faces. Stiles wanted to scream but he had no voice in the dream. A hand reached out to him, filling his vision but before it reached him he jumped awake. _

__ _ Stiles panted as he sat on his bed trying to push the images out of his head. Theo soon sat up as well looking at Stiles trying to catch his breath and put his hand on his shoulder. This wasn’t the first time he’s had Stiles wake up panting and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. _

_ “Stiles what happened? Are you okay? What was it that you saw?”  _

_ “Nothing.” Stiles said once he caught his breath. “Just a meaningless dream.” _

_ “You mean a nightmare.” _

__ _ Stiles placed his hand over Theo’s and squeezed it before pushing back the covers. He got off the bed and headed over to the bathroom to brush his teeth. _

_ “You’re kidding.” Theo said. “You’re not actually thinking about going to school today.” _

_ “And what if I am?” Stiles questioned putting the toothbrush in his mouth. “I got a good amount of sleep.” _

_ “Sure you did, it’s not like the last five hours consisted of you tossing around in bed.” _

_ “It was nothing Theo.” _

__ _ Theo groaned and got out of the bed heading towards Stiles. _

_ “One day.” He said. “One day of you actually getting more than four hours of sleep would do you some good. You don’t have any tests today, so missing a day of school won’t kill you.” _

_ “My dad wouldn’t like me ditching a day off school.” Stiles replied. _

_ “As long as he knows you’re at home getting some sleep he won’t mind. He might actually be glad.” _

_ “I’m going.” _

__ _ Stiles finished brushing his teeth and picked out his clothes for the day. Theo just sat by his desk waiting for him to finish dressing. On the way out Stiles just grabbed his things and went straight for his jeep. _

_ “What about breakfast?” Theo questioned. _

_ “I’ll be fine without it.” _

_ “Stiles-” _

_ “I don’t want to be late.” _

_ ♥♥ _ _ ♥ _ _ ♥♥  _

__ _ On the way to school Stiles made a quick stop at McDonald’s for some coffee. Theo told him to get something to eat but Stiles refused. At school Stiles seemed more awake but that was only the caffeine taking effect. _

_ “Please eat one of the granola bars in your backpack before first period.” Theo said as he waited for Stiles by his locker. _

_ “Naw, I’m fine.” _

_ “Stop saying that. You’re not fine, you need to stop and take a breather.You’re worrying me.” _

_ “Then stop worrying.” _

_ “You haven’t given me a good reason too.” _

_ “Alright, fine.” _

__ _ Stiles reached into his backpack and pulled out a granola bar. He quickly unwrapped it and took a bite of it. He looked at Theo as he chewed and made faces at him. _

_ “You happy now.” Stiles said with his mouth full. _

_ “Some what.” Theo said. _

_ “I’ll take that.” _

__ _ Stiles closed his locker and took another bite of the granola bar. He headed off to his first period and Theo followed behind. He still didn’t like how Stiles was acting but he was at least glad there was something for his stomach to digest. _

_ ♥♥ _ _ ♥ _ _ ♥♥  _

__ _ The caffeine only lasted till third period, after that Stiles got drowsy. He was barely paying attention in class and he could barely keep his eyes open. Once or twice the teacher called him out for dozing off in class but that didn’t do much. Even after a while Theo could hear Stiles’ stomach growl. _

_ “See what happens when you skip breakfast.” Theo said. _

_ “Bite me.” Stiles snapped. _

_ “Oh I will and not in the sexy way.” _

__ _ Stiles couldn’t help but snort at Theo’s comment and accidentally catch the attention of some of his classmates. When the class ended he went to the cafeteria and actually got some lunch. To his surprise Scott and the others sat with him. It was nice to have the company around even if he didn't say much. _

__ _ Even with a full stomach his lack of sleep was still affecting him. Theo could see the bags under his eyes and just knew the day wasn’t going to end well. And he was right when everything went downhill fifth period. Stiles had done his homework for the class so that wasn’t the issue. Theo thought it would be this class where Stiles finally knocked out but he was wrong. _

__ _ Stiles’ head was hanging and it was so obvious he was falling asleep. All Theo did was watch as his head fell then quickly snapped back up. It kept going for a while till Stiles’ head actually stayed down. Theo rolled his eyes and lightly patted Stiles’ shoulder, that was a mistake. _

__ _ Stiles sharply inhaled and straightened himself up. He started breathing heavily and looked around the room as if everything was out of focus. He got up from his seat and stumbled to the front of the class and then went out the door. Somehow he got to the locker room and planned to stand underneath a shower head but he couldn’t turn the handle.  _

__ _ He slid down to the floor, his breathing increasing. Theo knew this was a panic attack, he’d seen Stiles have these before. The only problem was he wasn’t sure what had caused it, though he had a pretty good idea. _

_ “Stiles breath, can you hear me, breath.” Theo said. _

_ “I...I can’t…” _

_ “Yes you can. Just think of something else.” _

_ “Theo…” _

__ _ Just then Scott showed up. He was freaking out as he looked at Stiles, not really sure what to do. He reached up and turned on the shower head letting the water fall on his friend. _

_ “Stiles you gotta breath.” He said. “You’re gonna be just fine.” _

_ “Scott?” _

_ “Yeah, I’m right here buddy.” _

_ “Tired…” _

_ “Yeah I know, I can smell the stress on you.” _

__ _ Stiles’ breathing was normalizing and he turned his head over. He saw Theo leaning against the wall watching the whole thing. Theo knew he wasn’t really needed and let Scott handle the situation. _

_ “Theo?” Stiles said before passing out. _

__ _ Theo snapped at attention and rushed over to Stiles as Scott caught him. Suddenly Liam and Malia came into the locker room and found Scott holding an unconscious Stiles. _

_ “What happened?” Malia asked. _

_ “I…I don’t know.” Scott said frantically. “Someone call 911.” _

__ _ Liam quickly pulled out his phone and made the call. Malia went over to Scott and shut off the water. She listened to Stiles’ heartbeat, it was normal. Theo just stayed by Stiles. He knew something like this was bound to happen but even then he was unprepared. _

__ _ When the ambulance arrived Stiles was placed on a gurney and rushed to the hospital. Theo stayed close and never left Stiles’ side. Scott had gone on the ambulance with Stiles wanting to be sure his friend was going to be alright. _

__ _ At the hospital the doctors did a quick check of Stiles and called the Sheriff. It was nothing serious besides low blood sugar and some pretty extreme sleep deprivation. The Sheriff was beyond worried but just glad to be told his son would be just fine.  _

__ _ As the doctors examined Stiles Scott went looking for his mom. He told her what happened. She looked over Stiles’ report and did her best to ease the Sheriff’s worry. Scott went off to get some snacks and was about to go into the room Stiles was in until he heard voices from inside. _

_ ♥♥ _ _ ♥ _ _ ♥♥  _

__ _ When Stiles opened his eyes he saw Theo sitting by the bed playing with his thumbs. It looked like he was thumb wrestling himself and Stiles giggled. _

_ “My money’s on you.” He said.  _

__ _ Theo quickly shifted his attention and moved closer to the bed. _

_ “You scared the shit out of me Stiles.” Theo said. _

_ “I thought you saw this coming.” _

_ “Doesn’t mean I was prepared for it.” _

_ “Sorry.” _

_ “No. Sorry doesn’t brush off your actions. Why? Just tell me what’s going on with you. You’ve grown careless of your own health.” _

_ “I have not.” _

_ “Stiles why are we here?” _

__ _ Stiles didn’t answer and just turned his head. Theo was right he had grown careless when it came to taking care of himself. He barely slept, but that was because he was afraid of what he saw when he dreamed. The horror wouldn’t go away and he rather focus on something else.  _ _ Just as he was about to talk to Theo the door to his room opened. Scott walked in and smiled at him, happy to see he was awake. He pulled up a chair and placed a Reese on the bed. _

_ “Got you something from the vending machines. Heard your blood sugar was low.” _

_ “Only a bit.”  _

__ _ Stiles sat up and unwrapped the candy. He gave one of the cups to Scott but he politely declined saying he needed the candy more. Stiles bit into one, kind of glad to taste some chocolate. _

_ “How are you feeling?” Scott asked. _

_ “Fine.” _

_ “What happened back at school.” _

_ “Nothing I was just dozing off.” _

_ “Stiles I know what a panic attack looks like. What happened?” _

_ “Nothing I swear, just some bad memories.” Stiles assured. _

_ “You know you can talk to me right? Or anyone else in the pack. We’re here for you.” _

_ “I know Scotty, thanks.”  _

__ _ As Stiles took another bite of his candy his dad came into the room with a doctor. Scott was asked to leave and he said he’d talk to Stiles later. The doctor said that nothing too bad happened just that Stiles needed some rest. His dad asked a few questions but everything was alright with his son. _

__ _ Once the doctor was gone the Sheriff talked with his son and said that they should be going home. Stiles grabbed his things and followed his dad out so he could sign some papers. On the way home his dad got a call from the station. Nothing too important just an update on where the Sheriff was. _

__ _ At home Stiles’ dad made dinner and they ate together. Most of the conversation was Stiles assuring his dad he was alright and promising to take care of himself. Stiles knew it was getting late and told his dad he should go to sleep, he’d stay and clean up the kitchen. The Sheriff wanted to argue but Stiles shut him down and gestured for him to go. _

__ _ Stiles took his time cleaning the kitchen and washing the dishes. Theo stayed with him and made some small talk. He avoid talking about what happened because he knew it wasn’t the right time to bring it up. Once Stiles finished he went upstairs and got ready for bed. _

__ _ He snuggled up to Theo and started apologizing for not really listening to him. He didn’t want to talk about his dreams but he wanted Theo to know he was going to take care of himself. Theo was glad to hear it and wrapped his arms around Stiles. In a matter of minutes Stiles was asleep. _

_ ♥♥ _ _ ♥ _ _ ♥♥  _

_     The peach sadly didn't last long.  _ _ In the middle of the night Stiles jumped out of bed. He fell to his knees on the floor, gasping for breath. Theo woke up as soon as the bed moved and was on his knees next to stiles. _

_ “Deep breaths.” Theo said. “You’re safe, you’re here at home with me.” _

__ _ Stiles nodded his head and sat down. He took some deep breaths then just laid down on the floor. Theo stayed seated next to him and Stiles moved to rest his head on his thighs.  _

_ “This has to mean something Stiles.” Theo said. _

_ “I’m not Lydia.” Stiles replied. _

_ “No, you’re you and you’ve always had a sixth sense for bad things.” _

_ “They're just nightmares Theo.” _

_ “You’ve been having them every night Stiles, that’s not normal.” _

_ “And exactly what is your opinion on this?” _

_ “That maybe you’re dreams are trying to tell you something.” _

_ “Tell me what exactly?” Stiles questioned. _

_ “That somethings coming. Something bad.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays Everyone!!!


	4. Chapter 4

_     The sounds of Stiles’ alarm clock jolted him awake. He sat up panting but Theo was soon by his side calming him down. _

_ “It’s okay Stiles, you’re just at home.” _

_ “What time is it?” Stiles asked sounding groggy. _

_ “Almost eight. Sorry I forgot to turn off your alarm.” _

_ “I gotta get to school.”  _

_ Stiles tried to get out of bed but Theo pushed him back down. _

_ “There’s a reason why I didn’t wake you. We agreed you were staying home today to rest.” _

_ “Did we?” _

_ “No.” Theo admitted. “But after yesterday's visit to the hospital I think everyone is fine with you missing a day of school.” _

_ “Yeah I guess you’re right.” _

_ “I’ll make you some breakfast when you wake up or lunch or brunch. It’s up to you.”  _

_ Stiles laid back down and Theo pulled up the blankets. He tucked him into bed and kissed his forehead.  _

_ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥  _

_ Stiles woke up sometime after noon but that didn’t stop Theo from making him some eggs and bacon. Stiles seemed more well rested now and Theo wouldn’t stop pointing it out. He knew Stiles felt better but he’d still need to get some more rest. At first Stiles ate at the kitchen table but then moved over to the living room so he could watch some TV. _

_ He suffered through the channels looking for a movie but nothing really caught his eye. Theo leaned in from the other side of the couch holding a DVD in his hand. _

_ “We’ve been meaning to see this one.” Theo said. _

_ “Now You See Me?” _

_ “Yeah, magicians robbing people blind. They’re making a second one.” _

_ “Magicians and robbers, seems original, I’m in.”  _

_ Stiles put the CD in the DVD player and Theo sat down on the couch waiting for him. Theo wrapped his arm around stiles as he leaned into him. Stiles grabbed the blanket on the couch and placed it over himself. _

_ “Guess being sick has it’s benefits.” Stiles said. _

_ “Yes, but you’ll recover nicely then you’ll be back in class.” _

_ “Don’t remind me.” _

_ “Alright, I won’t ruin the moment.” _

_ Through the movie they only talked for a bit enjoying the plot of the movie. It was just as magical and amazing as you’d expect from magicians robbing people. And quiet the ending too. Theo got up from the couch and got the cd and was asking Stiles what he wanted to watch next. _

_ Stiles didn’t answer and when Theo looked back he saw Stiles sleeping on the couch. He giggled to himself then turned off the TV and DVD player. He grabbed a pillow from the other couch and lightly put Stiles’ head on it. He pulled up the blanket and snuck out of the living room making as little noise as possible.  _

_ While Stiles slept Theo went upstairs and cleaned up his room a bit. It had been turned into a mess since over the last few days Stiles had gotten careless. He picked up his things from the floor and place them back where they belong. Got the eraser and cleaned his white board up a bit and put up against the wall. Once he was satisfied with his work he grabbed the bin with Stiles’ dirty laundry and went downstairs to the laundry room. _

_ After getting the clothes into the laundry machine he went back upstairs to check on Stiles. He was still sleeping and thankfully he didn’t seem to be having nightmares. Theo watched him for a little bit grabbing the dishes on the coffee table and taking them to the kitchen. He cleaned them up and then put them in the dish tray to dry. _

_ “Theo?” Stiles groaned. _

_ Theo went back over to the living room and saw Stiles groggily looking around the room calling his name. He went over to and Stiles smiled when he saw him. _

_ “You okay?” Theo asked. _

_ “Uhm, why wouldn’t I?” _

_ “You still look tired.” _

_ “Well I am, I’m just tired of sleeping.” _

_ “So then what are you gonna do?” _

_ “Come here and talk to me.” _

_ Stiles sits up on the couch and invites Theo to sit down. He does and then Stiles rests his head on his lap. _

_ “What have you been doing?” Stiles asked. _

_ “Cleaned up your room, washed the dishes and did your laundry.” _

_ “Laundry? I do that on the weekends.” _

_ “I had time, but enough about me. Are you having sweet dreams?” _

_ “Yeah, you were there. We were on a date.” _

_ “Really? What was the date like.” _

_ “Sweet, we went for a walk in the park and had a picnic. Then we watched a sunset.” _

_ Stiles yawned and moved around a bit. Theo patted his head as if he was a dog. He could see Stiles was falling asleep again and even though he didn’t wanna pry he just had to ask. _

_ “Stiles...what do you see in your nightmares?” _

_ “Darkness…” Stiles mumbled. “Black blood...medical stuff...I saw these three figures...and I heard screaming, just endless screaming of pain and agony.” _

_ Theo could see that Stiles was starting to get uncomfortable. His eyes were closed and it was very likely he was reliving the dreams. _

_ “Hey, hey, they’re just dreams. They can’t hurt you now.” _

_ “But what if it means something. You said it does, bad things are gonna start happening Theo I know it.” _

_ “Don’t worry Stiles everything’s gonna be okay for you.” _

_ “Yeah.” _

_ Stiles moved around a little more and then he was sleeping again. Theo lightly rubbed Stiles’ head, running his fingers through his head. He was thinking about Stiles’ dreams, trying to figure out what it means for his boy. Theo stayed with Stiles till he got up and carefully placed him on the couch to rest. _

_ He went back downstairs to finish up the laundry then took back up to the room. He put the clothes away and just as he was finishing up the front door opened up. Theo rushed downstairs to see the Sheriff coming in. The Sheriff walked into the house and noticed his son sleeping on the couch. He tried to walk but quietly but Stiles got up peeking his head over the couch. _

_ “Dad? Is that you?” _

_ “Yeah. Stiles what are you doing on the couch.” _

_ “I was watching a movie and I fell asleep. I woke up for a bit but I was to lazy to go back upstairs.” _

_ “Well I’m glad you got some rest.” _

_ “Yeah, but it seems like you need to rest now. What happened today?” _

_ “Nothing.” _

_ “Dad I know that face. You always have that same sad look in your eyes when you start a homicide case. Who died?” _

_ “A young girl by the of Tracy Stewart.” _

_ “She was a senior...how…” _

_ “She was found down in the basement of the school. After the lunch period was over she didn’t show up for her next period class. It was someone from the staff that found her.” _

_ “Any leads?” _

_ “No. The murder didn’t really leave any evidence. The only clue we really have are the two roses found on the body.” _

_ “Roses?” _

_ “Two of them. A black and white one.” _

_ “What does that mean?” _

_ “No idea. We’re still trying to figure that out.” _

_ A silence fell between the two. There wasn’t really much to say after a talk about homicide. _

_ “Are you going to school tomorrow?” The Sheriff asked. _

_ “Yeah, which means I’ll have a lot of homework to catch up on.” _

_ “Alright well I’m gonna go upstairs and get some sleep.” _

_ “Uhm, I’ll go up in a little bit.” _

_ The Sheriff nodded and went up to his room. Stiles got up from the couch and went over what his father said. Theo walked by and sat down next to him. _

_ “Told you something bad was gonna happen.” Stiles said. _

_ “Do you think it has anything to do with your dreams?” Theo asked. _

_ “I don’t know, but I’m gonna find out.” _


	5. Chapter 5

_     The next morning Stiles woke up extra early, since he slept a lot the other day, and started his investigation. He put his board in the middle of the room and drew the silhouette of a person and then connected it to the name Tracy Stewart. _

_ “So now what?” Theo asked. _

_ “Sadly there isn't much to be done.” Stiles said. “All that’s to be done now is examine the body. Find some clues, figure out what the murder weapon is, figure out where it came from, interview people, come up with a list of possible suspects, interrogate possible suspects and see if you can find a motive.” _

_ “That sounds like a lot.” _

_ “It does but it doesn’t really help in finding the killer and stopping them before they claim another victim.” _

_ “Well are you gonna stare at your board till it’s time to go to school.” _

_ “No, gonna get some waffles and head down to the station. I need to look at Tracy’s file.” _

_ “Are you sure your dad is gonna let you look at the file?” _

_ “He doesn’t need to know...yet.” _

_ “Alright finally, some reckless behavior.” _

_ “It’s not reckless.” _

_ “That’s what you think.”  _

_ After breakfast Stiles went down to the station. He avoided his dad’s office and went straight for the back room where case files are kept. _

_ “This is an ongoing investigation Stiles. You can’t just steal the file or else someone will notice and we both know your dad’s first suspect would be you.” Theo said. _

_ “Yeah. That’s why we make copies.” _

_ When Stiles walked out of the file room he bumped into on of the deputies. He looked up to see it was Parrish. _

_ “Stiles? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in school?” _

_ “Um no, I’ve still got a good half an hour till first period.” Stiles said.  
_

_ “Okay, but what are you doing with Tracy’s murder file.” _

_ “Who said I had her file.” _

_ “Stiles I know you follow in your father's footsteps. That’s why I made you a copy.” _

_ “Huh?” _

_ “Your dad has the original file in his office. You have the copy in your hands.” _

_ Stiles looked down at the file then back at Parrish with a smile. “Thanks.” _

_ “No problem. Now get your butt to school.” _

_ “I’m gone.” _

_ As Stiles was walking back to his jeep he looked through the case file. Theo glanced at it over his shoulder.  _

_ “How do you stomach this?” Theo asked. _

_ “I've lived in Beacon Hills for many years and my dad's the Sheriff. I'm used to this.”  _

_     When Stiles got in the jeep and started driving Theo looked at the file. He read out loud the account of murder. _

_ “Well this is pretty vague.” Theo said. _

_ “What do you expect. There's barely any evidence, just the corpse.” _

_ “Okay maybe medical records are-” _

_ “Nope. Just as useless, they can't even find a good solid cause of death.” _

_ “So still on square one then?” _

_ “Yup.” _

_ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥  _

_ When one walks into the Beacon Hills High hallways in the morning they expect to find the air filled with laughter and seemingly endless chatter. Today brought absolute silent. There were only a handful of people talking at a time and even then it was only to say hello. The whole school was in mourning for Tracy. She may not have been very well known but a death of a student really put a gloomy cloud over the school. _

_     Stiles quietly walked through the halls still looking at the file. He quickly grabbed his things from his locker and went to first period. Apparently that day was a half day in Tracy’s honor. Classes were shorter and the day flew by, before anyone noticed the final bell rang. All day that gloomy cloud was present and there was just a mournful feel in every classroom and every student. _

_     There were barely signs of life, even after the final bell rung. The halls filled with low chatter and the opening and closing of lockers. After Stiles got his things he went off, except he wasn't heading for the door. _

_ “Where are you going?” Theo asked. _

_ “Down to the basement. I want to see the crime scene.” _

_ “Stiles-” _

_ “Not gonna argue about it.” _

_ Theo watched Stiles partially rush down the hall. He sighed and smiled, he really loved that boy. He followed after him and they went down to the school’s basement. It doesn’t take long to find some ‘do not cross’ tape. Stiles completely ignored them and started looking around. _

_ “What exactly are you looking for?”  _

_ “Anything.” Stiles said. “Nothing really, if you look for nothing you're bound to find something.” _

_ “Interesting logic.” _

_ “It’s never failed me.” _

_ Stiles looked around the room, inspecting every inch of the place. Theo only stayed on the other side of the tape and watched Stiles. He was so determined to find something that would point him in the right direction. He stopped for a while feeling like there really was nothing to be found. _

_ Just as Theo was about to suggest they get going Stiles found something. He went over to one of the corners and kneeled down. Theo saw his eyes widen and went over to see what was found. There was a strange silver looking liquid on the floor. _

_ “Stiles don’t touch that.” Theo said. _

_ “I’m not stupid.” _

_ Stiles reached into one of his backpacks pocket and pulled out a baggy. Theo gave him a strange look for having that and Stiles noticed. _

_ “Son of a cop. I’ve got some forensic stuff around just in case.”  _

_ “I guess that’s a good point.” _

_ Out of the baggy Stiles grabbed a cotton swab and placed it over the liquid. Then he carefully placed the swab in the bag. _

_ “So I guess we’re going down to the Sheriff station?” Theo questioned. _

_ “Yup, every bit of evidence needs to be examined.” _

_ When the two of them got back upstairs the hallways were nearly empty. It was surprising since he expected everyone to be gone by then. Guess he was wrong but they just went out to the parking lot. They were soon on the road and Theo sat in the passenger seat looking at the bag. _

_ “What do you think this is?” _

_ “Who knows, liquid silver.” _

_ “And what would that be doing at a crime scene.” _

_ “I don’t know.” Stiles said. _

_ “Does Tracy’s body being pretty badly mauled mean anything.” _

_ “It’s the killers mark. How they brand their victims, that and the roses are also a symbol.” _

_ “Has anyone figured out what the roses mean?” Theo asked. _

_ “No and I don't have a clue either.” _

_     When they got to the station Stiles went straight for his dad's office. His father was happy to see him but as soon as Stiles showed him the bag he went over and shut the door. _

_ “At this point I shouldn’t be surprised with you snooping around crime scenes. Now what is this?” The Sheriff asked. _

_ “I don’t know. I figured forensics could figure that out and maybe it can give the rest of us a clue as to who the killer is.” _

_ “Us?” _

_ “I mean you and the rest of the police force.” Stiles said.  
_

_ “Of course you did.” _

_ “Dad you know I wanna help. I knew Tracy...she always worked hard and she was really gonna be somebody.” _

_ “I know you want to help Stiles, but next time tell me when you're looking around at crime scenes.” _

_ “Promise.” _

_     The Sheriff grabbed the bag with the swab and left his office. Stiles sat down and decided to wait for his dad . It wasn’t long then when his phone vibrated. He knew it was was a text but he ignored it. _

_ “Shouldn’t you answer that?” Theo questioned. _

_ “It’s fine.” _

_ “It could be important.” _

_ “I bet you it’s not.” _

_ Theo reached over and pulled Stiles’ phone out of his pocket. Stiles reached for it but Theo pulled away and opened up the text. _

_ “It’s from Liam. He’s inviting you to the Sinema, you know to help you get your mind off of recent events and possibly have some fun.” _

_ “It does not say that.” Stiles countered. _

_ “Not word for word but you know what it implies.” _

_ “Tell him thanks but no thanks.” _

_ “Uh, no, you’re going.” _

_ “I’m not.” _

_ Theo tossed Stiles his phone and sat down next to him. _

_ “You need to relax and let loose every now and then. You just got yourself back on track, I think you deserve some fun.” _

_ “I’m working a case Theo.” _

_ “No the police are, they’re obligated. You on the other hand every right to go party. Besides you just brought some new evidence, I think that’s enough work for one day.” _

_ “Theo I-” _

_ “Results won’t be in for a few hours and you know that.” _

_ Stiles huffed since he Theo had a point. Going to the club would be a good way to pass the time and surely his dad would call him up with the reports. He rolled his head and sighed but then got up. Theo cheered and they headed out to the club. _

_ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥  _

_     Liam was glad to see Stiles had taken his invitation. He had been told by Mason that he needed to get out more, a club may not have been the best idea but it was something. Stiles stuck with the two boys, guess besides relaxing himself he was the chaperone for the two sophomores.  _

_     He mostly stayed close to the bar, he wasn't much for dancing and getting pushed around by sweaty bodies or drinking. Eventually the scene itself became to weird for Stiles so he hid. He found a place behind the curtain where the horror scenes played. _

_ “You're not taking my advice on having fun.” Theo said. _

_ “I'm here aren't I.” Stiles said. _

_ “You’re back here.” _

_ “Well I haven't really gotten into clubbing.” _

_ “I can see that.” _

_     At least Stiles had a drink in his hand. He stayed behind the curtain starting to question himself on why he decided to come in the first place. He got lost in his own thoughts but snapped out of it when Theo knocked the drink out of his hand. He looked up at Theo but was then pushed up against the wall. _

_     Stiles was a bit flustered with Theo’s moves, feeling a blush coming on. Theo leaned in close planning on pressing his lips to Stiles’ but the boy moved out of the way. _

_ “Theo we’re in public.” Stiles said. _

_ “We’re hidden.” Theo whispered softly. _

_ “I dropped my glass, someone might have heard and could catch us.” _

_ “Stiles if I’m doing this then you know this is what you want.” _

_ “Still, I’d be weird, people would think-” _

_ “Stiles no one sees what you see, that’s the beauty of this. They’re all dancing and living in their own little worlds right now. You should do the same.” _

_ “Theo-” _

_ “Ssh, no words, just feelings.” _

_ This time Stiles didn’t argue. He did come to have fun after all. Theo smirked at the sight of Stiles’ submission. He leaned in like before but instead of going for his lips he went down to the crook of his neck. He teased Stiles with little pepper kisses on his neck. Stiles whined at first but accepted the little kisses. _

_ The feeling was real to him and he couldn’t help but crave more of it. Being pinned against the wall only added to the joy. He had closed his eyes, drowning out the noise of the music playing around him. He wanted to melt into Theo and really enjoy every second of his touch. He gasped and opened his eyes when Theo started nipping at his ear.  _

_ “Theo.” He whined. _

_ “I got you.” _

_ Just as Stiles was about to close his eyes again he saw something in the corner of his eyes. His full attention went to the mysterious figure and he began pulling away from Theo. _

_ “What’s wrong?” Theo asked seeming disappointed and worried. _

_ “There’s something…” _

_ Stiles got off from the wall and went back into the club scene. He couldn't tell what the figure was but he knew it wasn’t supposed to be there. He pushed passed all the dancing people trying to catch this figure. For some reason he felt a pull from it but he didn’t know why.  _

_ When he got to the other side of the warehouse there was nothing abnormal. There were just people around him drinking and dancing. He was confused and unsure about what the point was of his previous actions. Then Theo was by his side, still looking worried. _

_ “Are you okay?” _

_ “Yeah, I just thought I saw something.” _

_ “Maybe that’s a sign that we should go home.” _

_ “Yeah...you’re probably right.” _

_ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥  _

_ Stiles was surprisingly tired when they got home. Thankfully he wasn’t at all drunk. He did have a fun time though and to end the day right Theo offered to give him a bath. Stiles gladly accepted the offer. _

_ He sat in the bath tub surrounded by water. The water was pinkish with an endless amount of bubbles. Theo knelt by the tub and used a sponge to clean his back. _

_ “Did you put pink bubble bath?” Stiles asked. _

_ “Yeah, why not _

_ “It’s funny. I feel like a little kid.” _

_ After Theo finished giving Stiles a bath he tucked him into bed. Stiles changed into some pajamas and luckly he didn’t have to worry about school tomorrow. He was already yawning as Theo pulled up the blanket. He moved around for a bit before settling down. Theo leaned down and kissed Stiles’ forehead. He ruffled up his hair and smirked. _

_ “Goodnight Stiles.” _

_ “Goodnight Theo.” _

_ As Stiles let sleep take over he could see Theo. He wasn’t in bed with him but instead in the middle of the room looking at the board. Maybe he’d figure something out in the night and they’d have some new information in the morning. _


	6. Chapter 6

_The next morning Stiles woke up wrapped up in Theo’s arms. He smiled and snuggled up to him deciding to stay in bed. It was the weekend so he had every right to stay in bed. Just as he was about to drift back to sleep he felt a small kiss on his neck._

_“Morning.” Theo whispered._

_“Hi.” Stiles mumbled._

_“Are you still tired?”_

_“Somewhat, why?”_

_“Well,” Theo kissed him again. “I was interrupted,” Another kiss. “The last time I had you alone._

_“Well you have me now.”_

_“I do, but maybe you wanna sleep.”_

_“No I don't.”_

_Then the alarm went off and Stiles jolted out of bed. He had forgotten to turn it off and was fumbling with his phone trying to hit the off button. As he struggled Theo only laughed. Once the alarm finally went off Stiles sighed and smiled._

_“That was great.”_

_“Definitely.” Theo said._

_“By any chance did you figure something out last night, about the case?”_

_“Not really except for the roses. You said it's the killers mark so I guess that's our biggest lead.”_

_“Flowers? Are you serious?”_

_“Where else could you possibly get a black rose then?”_

_“You grow it.” Stiles said._

_“Seriously, a black rose.”_

_“Plant a rose seed and if you use like food dye and darken the soil the rose will be dark, practically black.”_

_“Interesting.”_

_Stiles got out of bed and noticed Theo had written roses under the killer's silhouette. That was the biggest clue they had on the case and yet they couldn’t figure anything out with it. Stiles thought about changing out of his pajamas but he decided against it and went downstairs._

_He grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and got himself some cereal. He went over to the living room and sat down to watch TV. Theo sat down next to him and wrapped his arm around him. At first the Tb was on golf but Stiles changed the channel. He skipped through a lot and then stopped on the news when the report caught his attention._

_‘This morning officials were alerted of a body found at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital.’_

_“What!” Theo shouted and sat up._

_“Another body.” Stiles said._

_‘The body of a young teenager by the name of Corey Bryant was found in the ambulance parking lot and has been reported to have been there since last night.’_

_Stiles put down his bowl and got up. He walked out of the living room and Theo quickly turned off the TV and followed him. It was notable that Stiles was upset but Theo wasn’t sure what to do._

_“Stiles are you okay?” Theo asked._

_“Yeah, it’s just...I need to go see my dad.”_

_Before Theo could say anything Stiles rushed upstairs and changed out of his pajamas. He was quick about it and then he was out the door. Stiles got into his jeep and rushed to the police station._

_When Stiles got to the station he didn’t even say anything to the deputy at the front desk. He went straight for his dad’s office and opened the door without knocking. His dad had been going through some papers but put it down when he saw his son._

_“I guess you saw the news.” The Sheriff said._

_“Yeah. Where’s the file?”_

_“In front of you.”_

_“Wait really? You’re actually giving me the file?” Stiles questioned._

_“You said you wanted to help with the case.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_Stiles grabbed the file and sat down in front of his dad. He looked through Corey’s case file and began looking at the pictures. Just like Tracy his body was partially mauled but this time the black blood poured out of his mouth mixed with the silver liquid._

_“What did forensics say about that silver stuff?” Stiles asked._

_“It’s mercury.”_

_“Mercury?”_

_“Yes. And they found traces of it in  Corey's body as well as Tracy’s.”_

_“Is it the cause of death?”_

_“It’s one possibility but with all the injuries on their body it’s hard to tell. The better question is how did the mercury end up in their body.”_

_Stiles kept looking through the file but stopped on a certain picture. His heart dropped when he saw it. Corey had been laying on the rooftop with three roses in his hands that he held over his heart. There was a black and white rose but the third was red._

_There was no clue once again about what the roses meant. Stiles read through the file again looking for anything else that could help but nothing. There was no evidence at the crime scene once again which didn’t help at all. Stiles paced around the office going over the case as his father did other work._

_At some point he called Scott and the pack. They discreetly checked out the crime scene but they couldn’t find anything. There was no scent that was out of place, so they weren’t much help._

_“You need to cool off your head.” Theo said as he watched Stiles pace. “Maybe if you relax for a bit something will come to you.”_

_“I’m already frustrated Theo.” Stiles said. “I break won’t really be a break for me.”_

_“It might still help. How about you take a nap. You’ll completely shut down to relax.”_

_“No.”_

_Theo sighed and got up. He put his hands on Stiles’ shoulder and began pushing him towards the door. Stiles tried to get away but Theo was persistent in getting him out of the police station._

_“Theo what are you...Theo…”_

_“We’re leaving.” Theo said.  
_

_“But...what about the file.”_

_“I got it.”_

_Theo went back and grabbed the file. Stiles seemed satisfied and followed Theo out the door. This time Theo drove and Stiles continued his examination in the passenger seat. It was quiet at first but Theo knew he needed to talk to Stiles._

_“It’s not your fault.” Theo said._

_“What?”_

_“You know what I mean Stiles. You feel guilty about Corey.”_

_“And what makes you say that.” Stiles said as he flipped through the pages of the file he held._

_“Because you couldn’t find the killer. If they were caught then Corey wouldn’t be dead. Stiles there was nothing you could do.”_

_Stiles closed the file and put it on the dashboard. He closed his eyes and pushed the palms of his hands against his eyes._

_“This killer must be a professional. There is no evidence and those stupid flowers are cryptic as hell." Stiles got silent for a while then slumped down in his seat. "Theo…”_

_“Yes?”_

_“There’s gonna be another body...before this killer is caught.”_

_“How do you know?”_

_“Because...I can just feel it.”_

_“Okay, Stiles we’re gonna figure this out okay. You’ll find the killer, I know it.”_

_♥♥ ♥ ♥♥_

_When they got home Theo took the file from Stiles. He was gonna take a break whether he wanted to or not. Theo lead Stiles upstairs and pushed him onto the bed._

_“Well you’ve got some ideas.”_

_“No.” Theo said. “You’re gonna sleep, for a couple of hours.”_

_“Theo.-_

_“You're sleeping, last time you didn’t listen to me we ended up in the hospital.”_

_“Alright then, but if you wake me up I’m not going back to sleep.”_

_“Fine.”_

_Stiles curled up in bed and closed his eyes. He didn’t admit it but he was somewhat tired. Practically all day he had been working on the case and Theo was right. He felt some guilt for Corey’s death. If maybe he had done more with Tracy’s case maybe no one else would have died. It didn’t take long for all the stress of the day to knock him out. He had a dreamless sleep with nothing but comfortable darkness. At least it started out that way. It was peaceful but then a light started appearing._

_It was a dim light that began to fill his vision. He opened his eyes wide and began to feel the restraints that held him down. His hands were cuffed down as well as his ankles. There was some other strap on his head that prevented him from seeing anything around him. He was on some metal table and he saw some surgical devices on a stand near him.  
_

_“Help!” He yelled. “Someone!”_

_Stiles’ breathing increased and the fear built up. How did he get here? What was going on? Then he began to heard some weird clicking noises. And all of a sudden everything made sense. He knew where he was, he had been dreaming of this place for days now. He began to see three shadows getting closer to him. Even if he wanted to know what these figures were he didn’t want to see them now. Not when he was completely helpless._

_“His condition looks promising.” A deep voice said._

_Stiles could feel a tear streaming down his face. He was gonna die, he knew he was._

_‘Stiles.’_

_He heard his name called out in a whisper._

_‘Stiles.’_

_The voice was getting louder. Then Stiles felt a hand on his shoulder. He screamed, crying out for help again._

_‘Stiles!’_

_Stiles opened his eyes again and was relieved to see he was back in his room. Theo stood over him with such a look of concern._

_“What happened?” Stiles asked._

_“You...you started screaming in you sleep. You were crying or help.”_

_“I...what?”_

_Stiles sat up and felt the tear on his face. He didn’t know what to say and then flashes of his dream began to come up. He shook his head trying to ignore it all._

_“What did you dream about?”_

_“Noth…”_

_“Stiles if you lie to me I swear-”_

_“Those figures again. I...they had me strapped down to a table...I don’t…”_

_“It’s okay Stiles, you’re here with me." Theo grabbed Stiles and hugged him. "They’re not gonna hurt you.”  
_

_“Yeah...yeah okay.”_

_Theo held Stiles in a hug for a long while not wanting to leave him until he was calm and felt safe. He brought him a glass of water when he felt better and stayed by his side. Stiles was still freaking out a bit but he leaned into Theo. He felt his warmth and could hear his heartbeat, he was real, this was real._

_When he began to feel better he noticed the new notes on his board. He slowly stood up and saw what was added. Theo had put Corey’s name next to Tracy’s and wrote down the color of the roses._

_“Do you have any idea why?” Stiles asked._

_“Why what?”_

_“Why the killer...does this, why they kill, why these kids.”_

_“I...I can’t really, I can’t answer...I don’t know.”_

_“Let’s just hope this killer has a motive, a reason or at least a pattern.”_

_“And what if the killer doesn’t?” Theo questioned.  
_

_“Then we’re screwed. A killer without motive or reason, they’ll do this for fun, they’ll do this because they can and that’s far worse.”_


	7. Chapter 7

_After Corey’s death things only got worse. Two days later another body was found. Another student from Beacon Hills, Josh Diaz. His body was just like the others, mauled and black blood oozing out of the injuries, mercury mixed in with the blood. An electrician had found his body on the roof of the hospital._

_Maybe having two murders near each other meant something, but then again the hospital was a busy place so there would be the same faces around during both murders. And just as expected no suspects and the same roses, except Josh had a pink one along with the black and white one._

_Stiles added the name to his board and stared at it. Three deaths, three different times, no connection between the three, no evidence and nothing but the smell of roses at the crime scene. Stiles sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He’s always been able to figure out the connection and help his dad catch the killer._

_This time though he was absolutely clueless. It was obvious at this point that this killer would kill anyone for no reason, but there was still motive. Why did the killer kill, it may be for fun but there is a reason and he needs to figure that out. But the bigger question was who’s next._

_“Can I convince you to take a break?” Theo questioned._

_“I don’t know, can you?” Stiles said sarcastically.  
_

_“Well a break...I don’t even know if you want one.”_

_“People are dying Theo, teenagers, kids I saw walking down the halls at school. Scott and the pack don’t have anything, the police are stumped and this killer is in the wind.”_

_“You do know this isn’t your responsibility. The police are investigating, you don’t have to solve this.”_

_“Yeah...this isn’t first serial killer we’ve had, but I just feel like this case is...it’s calling to me or something.”_

_“Okay but you can’t spend every waking moment focusing on it. There are other stuff to do and you have school to worry about.”_

_“Well I don’t think homework counts as a break.” Stiles said._

_“Then maybe we can do something a little more fun. It’d be best for you to get out of the house.”_

_“What are you suggesting?”_

_“Sinema?”_

_“You want to go clubbing again?”_

_“Never seen you tipsy before.” Theo said._

_“I don’t think that will be pretty.”_

_“You’ll never know if you don’t try.”_

_Stiles spun around in his chair thinking. He stopped and looked at the board again. It was covered in red string and numerous question marks. If he kept looking for a connection in the murders he wouldn’t find one. The harder he looked the less he'd see and the answer would slip past him. But if he took his mind off the case then the connection would just come to light._

_“Okay, let's go clubbing.”_

_♥♥ ♥ ♥♥_

_This time since it was just Stiles he didn’t have anyone else to worry about. Theo pushed him to have a little more fun this time and Stiles did. He spent a good amount of time on the dance floor. He seemed really happy as all the worries just faded away. Theo was glad to see him smiling, it had been a while._

_When Stiles got away from the dance floor he went over to the bar and got himself a drink. He was sweating and panting. He had lost track of his time dancing so as far as he knew its been hours. Theo couldn’t stop smirking and then leaned in closer to Stiles._

_“Maybe you should take off your shirt.” He suggested._

_“What?!”_

_“A lot of other people do it. And your shirt is soaked.”_

_“No it’s not Theo.” Stiles laughed._

_“Sooner or later it will be. I mean what if you spill your drink.”_

_Theo was real close to Stiles, already slightly nipping at his neck._

_“I swear if you spill my drink-”_

_“You’ll what?”_

_“I…”_

_“Exactly.”_

_Just as Stiles was about to make a come back Hayden came up to him with a tray of empty glasses in her hand. She put the empty glasses and the tray on the table. She called over the bar tender and told her what drink orders she needed. Once that was done she turned to Stiles.  
_

_“Stiles? What are you doing here?” She asked._

_“Just thought I’d used the day off from school to have fun. I’ve been bored at home all day.”_

_“So homework wasn’t an option.”_

_“Finished, but I guess you’ve been busy with that.”_

_“Not all of us can be as clever as you Stiles.”_

_“I wouldn’t call myself clever.”_

_“Are you sure about that?” Hayden questioned. “Liam can go on and on about how smart you are. Always figuring stuff out before anyone else, including the police.”_

_“Does he now.”_

_Her words really stuck with him. She really thought he could figure everything out before the police. Yet here he was, ignoring his problems at a club and drinking while there’s a serial killer on the loose and the case on his board._

_“Liam likes you a lot. You bring something special to the pack." Hayden smiled at him before grabbing the tray with drinks. "Well I’ll see you around, got some drinks to deliver.”_

_Stiles smiled and nodded his head, watching her go back into the crowds. He turned around and put his head down on the bar table._

_“This was a mistake.” He said._

_“No, you’re having fun.” Theo countered._

_“Was. That’s the operative word here.”_

_“You’re not seriously thinking about going home. It’s still early.”_

_“If I stay I could get drunk.”_

_“And what’s so bad about that.”_

_“I can’t drive drunk.” Stiles said._

_“But I can drive.”_

_“No.”_

_“Stiles come on, we don’t have to leave.”_

_“We are.”_

_Stiles took one last sip of his drink before putting down some money and heading for the exit. Theo groaned but followed after Stiles. He tried to talk to him and get him to stay but Stiles wasn’t having it._

_“Stiles please. Let’s not stay at the club but how about we don’t go home. How about getting dinner, you need to eat.”_

_“Theo I-”_

_Stiles stopped short of the exit. A sudden wave of dizziness hit him and he stumbled back a few steps. His vision was getting cloudy and his mind became foggy. Theo was soon standing in front of him trying to get his attention. His words were nothing but a small whisper to Stiles at the moment. He tried to go to the door again but jumped back when he saw a metallic mask in front of him._

_“Your condition improves.”_

_All of a sudden everything became clear again and he began to step back. The figure stepped towards him and Stiles’ fear rose up. He turned around and began pushing his way through the crowds.  
_

_He already knew what that thing was, the same thing that had been haunting him for days now. But then he remembered another horrifying thing, there’s more than one. As he moved through the crowd of dancing bodies he saw another one in the crowds with him._

_Stiles panicked and backed away heading towards the back. When he glanced off to the side he saw the third figure heading in his direction. He tripped into the back part of the club where it was empty. There was a catwalk above him and he noticed the exit door at the other end._

_He made a run for it but then was hit by another wave dizziness. He stumbled a few steps before his legs gave out and he fell to the floor. His head was spinning, as the world did around him. He laid on his back trying to focus as Theo shouted meaningless things at him._

_The dizzy feeling stayed but soon there was someone else in his line of vision, Hayden. She had come to tell Stiles he couldn’t be back there but then rushed over to his side when she saw him on the floor. She was terrified, having no idea what happened to him or what to do._

_“Stiles! Stiles can you hear me?” She asked._

_Stiles tried to open his mouth to speak but he couldn’t find the strength._

_“I’m gonna go get you some help.”_

_Just as Hayden was about to get up and leave Stiles managed the strength to grab her arm._

_“No...stay...please.” Stiles mumbled._

_The fear of being alone was overpowering, especially knowing he was being chased. Hayden went over his request and after some quick thinking she sighed and held his hand._

_“Stiles, what’s going on?”_

_“Dizzy…”_

_Stiles tried to focus, tried to make everything clear again but there was something. Something in his mind that kept him in this foggy state. He looked off to the side and behind Hayden he could see the three figures that had been after him. They did not advance but just watched him._

_They fritzed and faded as they stood, watching. Stiles squeezed Hayden’s hand tighter but when he turned to see her she was replaced by Theo._

_“I’m right here Stiles and I’m not going anywhere.” Theo said._

_His vision blurred between the two, one second Hayden was with him and the next Theo was. When he looked over to the side again the three figures were gone. At that moment things began to clear up in his mind. His breathing began to stabilize and the fog in his mind lifted. Once everything was normal again Stiles slowly sat up._

_Hayden was still with him telling him to take it easy. Stiles reassured her that he was feeling better and thanked her for sticking with him. She was still concerned thinking she should have called 911 but he told her that wasn’t necessary. He got up and once again thanked Hayden for her company._

_He continued his original trajectory and headed for the exit door in the back. Hayden told him to take care and to get home safe. He smiled at her once more before leaving the club. At first he stumbled arpind with Theo holding on to him but then that went away. This time Theo didn’t protest at all about going home._

_♥♥ ♥ ♥♥_

_When Stiles got home the first thing he did was run upstairs and puke in his bathroom. He didn’t miss the toilet but the afterburn in his throat was strong._

_“Maybe you shouldn't drink.” Theo said._

_“Theo I’m not drunk. I just had like one drink.”_

_“Yeah I know, maybe drinking makes you sick in general.”_

_“Shut up.”_

_Stiles took off his shirt and playfully threw it at Theo. He got up and turned on the shower head before removing the rest of his clothes. The water was warm when Stiles got in the tub and he stood there as the water showered him. It was a nice feeling against his skin but he couldn’t help but think back to the club. Theo must have had the same idea._

_“What happened Stiles? Back at the club? One minute you were leaving the next you were running scared.”_

_Stiles could lie to him or avoid the question. He’s done that in the past but with the way things have been going, that wasn’t the best idea. Stiles lowered his head letting the water hit the back of his neck. It was one of the things he did to relax._

_“The things in my...nightmares. They were there at the club. They were after me and...they said something.”_

_“What did they say?” Theo questioned._

_“They told me my condition improves.”_

_“What does that mean?”_

_“I don’t know but it’s not better than what they said the last time.”_

_“Last time? What didn’t you tell me before.”_

_“It was when I dreamt they had me strapped down to a table. One of them said my condition looked promising.”_

_“Stiles you can’t keep these things from me.”_

_“And why not? Exactly what are you gonna do.” Stiles said. “You can’t do anything about it, just like me.”_

_“I could help.”_

_“How?”_

_“It always helps to share with someone about your problems. Help relieve the stress of the burden.”_

_Stiles stayed quiet, letting the water fall on his head. Theo was right, talking about his dreams did help but...he only ever told Theo. He never wanted anyone else to bear the burden of knowing something was wrong with him. Everyone else has their own problems and he wasn’t going to add to them._

_“Something’s wrong with me Theo.” Stiles suddenly said._

_“Nothing’s wrong, you’re jus-”_

_“No something’s wrong. These dreams, those things I see, what if I’m going crazy.”_

_“You’re not going crazy okay, there’s some explanation for all this.”_

_“Oh yeah, then what is it.”_

_“I…”_

_“Exactly. You don’t know, I don’t know...I’m straight up losing my mind.” Stiles closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the cold tile wall. “What if...what if I have what my mom had.”_

_“No, that’s not-”_

_“I’ve been showing the symptoms.”_

_“You’re not sick Stiles, not mentally.”_

_“Alright, fine then, if i’m not mentally ill then why do I keep having nightmares about the same thing.”_

_“Maybe your subconscious is trying to give you the answer you’ve been looking for.” Theo said._

_“Those things aren’t the killers.”_

_“Yeah and how are you so sure.”_

_“Killers, that’s plural, there’s only one killer.”_

_“And how do you know that?”_

_Stiles was quiet for a moment. “I don’t. But I still don’t think it’s them and even if it is they know me, they’ve seen me. As far as I’m concerned I keep dreaming about them because I’m their next victim.”_

_Theo turned off the shower head and grabbed Stiles’ hand. He slowly got him out of the tub and wrapped him in a towel. Stiles had gone mute and just let Theo dry him off. There wasn’t much else to be said but his eyes kept trailing off to his board. Theo followed his gaze and saw the disappointment in Stiles’ eyes._

_“You’ll find the killer Stiles, no one is as clever as you. And when you do find this killer all your problems will go away and you can relax, you can be you.”_

_“I still can’t find a pattern.”_

_“Then maybe that’s the pattern. There isn’t one.”_

_“Theo that makes it worse.”_

_“But it gives you something to work with.”_

_“Then the next victim can be anyone.”_

_“So you prepare for everything. One thing we know for sure is that they’ll be more roses, each with their own significance.”_

_“There will be another dead body too.”_

_“Let’s not worry about that right now. How about we just get you into bed to sleep the day off. You’ll be refreshed in the morning.”_

_Stiles was already changed and he got into bed. Theo might have stayed up if Stiles hadn’t insisted on him getting into bed. Theo didn’t argue knowing Stiles needed someone with him, someone to make the nightmares less horrific._

_Theo got into bed and lay beside Stiles looking into his eyes. He leaned in and kissed his forehead wishing his boy sweet dreams. Stiles nodded his head and yawned as he let himself fall into the deep nothingness of sleep._


	8. Chapter 8

__ _ The next morning Stiles woke up with the worse headache he had ever experienced. Theo once again blamed the drinking but Stiles knew that wasn’t the case. Stiles spent a good amount of the morning on the bathroom floor. Once the sickness passed he went downstairs. He made some breakfast and settled down on the couch. _

_ “Missing school huh? Never thought you’d be one for ditching.” Theo said. _

_ “I spent most of the morning throwing up. Going to school would be a horrible idea.” _

_ “Okay I get your point.” Theo grabbed a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around Stiles. “But you’re not missing school tomorrow.” _

_ “I promise.” _

_ “So what are we watching then?” _

_ “It’s been a while without a star wars marathon.” _

_ “I am not watching the sequels Stiles.” Theo said.  
_

_ “I know they suck but they’re part of the franchise.” _

_ “No. I know Scott hasn’t seen them but I have. I don’t want to go through that again.” _

_ “Fine, we’ll watch episode seven.” _

_ “I can get behind that.” _

__ _ They stayed together watching the movie. After Stiles had finished eating he put his feet on the couch and leaned against Theo. Theo wrapped an arm around Stiles and kept him closes, occasionally taking a whiff of his boy. The movie was phenomenal and just what anyone could really hope for. _

__ _ Surprisingly enough as the credits were rolling Stiles’ phone rang. Theo reached over and grabbed it from the coffee table in front of him. He looked at the caller ID and then handed Stiles the phone. Stiles looked at the phone and then answered. _

_ “Shouldn’t you be in class or something?” Stiles questioned. _

_ “I know but I’m worried.” _

_ “What are you worried about Liam?” _

_ “Hayden. She didn’t come to school today.” _

_ “People can be absent every now and then, I mean I’m home.” _

_ “Yeah, but you’re hungover.” Liam said.  
_

_ “What!?” Stiles sat up. “Who told you that?” _

_ “Hayden, she told me you were at the club yesterday. She found you a bit tipsy.” _

_ “I didn’t get drunk, I just woke up feeling sick. I’m not an alcoholic.” _

_ “Yeah I know, I’m joking but she sounded fine yesterday.” _

_ “Things can happen, I’m sure she’s at home resting. She could be tired from all her work.” _

_ “Yeah, yeah I guess you’re right.” _

_ “I’m sure she’ll call you when the school day's over. She knows better than to call you in the middle of the day. Now get back to your classes.” _

_ “Okay...mom.” _

_ “I’m not your mother.” _

__ _ Liam laughed over the phone before hanging up. Stiles glanced at his phone real quick checking to see if he had any messages, there was nothing. He placed his phone back on the coffee table and then leaned back on the couch. _

_ “Busy with the kids?” Theo joked. _

_ “Sure.” Stiles responded.   
_

_ “You really are like the pack mom aren’t you?” _

_ “Surprisingly enough I still have that title.” _

_ “What do you mean surprisingly?” _

_ “I haven’t really been with the pack lately...they haven’t even been with me.” _

_ “I’m sure they mean well, like you said stuff happens. You’ve all been pretty busy lately.” _

_ “They’re busy with school and I’m here trying to solve a murder. That’s not really a normal thing.” _

_ “Stiles, none of your friends are normal and neither are you.”  _

__ _ Stiles couldn’t help but laugh. That was true but he was still feeling neglected and Theo noticed. _

_ “They care about you Stiles, you have to remember that.” _

_ “Yeah.” _

__ _ Theo could still see the gloominess in his eyes. He didn’t know what to say to make him feel better but he really didn’t want Stiles going back upstairs to the case. When he got an idea he got up. _

_ “How about I make you some soup? I’m sure you’re hungry.” _

_ “You make it sound like I have the flu?” _

_ “You’re sick, in a sense, so I’m obligated to take care of you.” _

_ Stiles blushed. “Some soup would be nice.” _

_ “Chicken noodle soup coming up.” _

__ _ Theo gave Stiles a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off into the kitchen. Stiles grabbed the blanket and wrapped himself up. As he stayed wrapped up he watched some TV to pass the time. After a good while Theo came into the room with a bowl of soup for Stiles. _

_ “Want me to spoon feed you?” Tho questioned. _

_ Stiles laughed. “No, I’m fine.” _

_ “You sure? I can do the airplane thing with the spoon.” _

_ “Theo I’m fine.” _

_ “Okay. What are you watching.” _

_ “Whatever’s on.” _

_ ♥♥ _ _ ♥ _ _ ♥♥ _

__ _ After Stiles finished his soup it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep on the couch. He had been all over the place recently that Theo didn’t mind the kind of rest he got. He quietly went upstairs to look at the board, he really couldn’t understand the kind of stress Stiles put himself through. At this point maybe it was best for Theo to get Stiles to let go of the case. _

__ _ He kept looking at the board for a while longer before going back downstairs. He went down to the kitchen to make sure everything was in order and nothing was messy. Afterwards he went to check on Stiles. He watched him sleep again, wondering exactly what’s been going on in his head. _

__ _ Theo remained where he was, silently watching till he heard the front door open. The Sheriff walked in calling Stiles’ name. Earlier in the morning Stiles had called his dad telling him he wasn’t feeling well and was at home. The Sheriff stopped when he saw his son on the couch. _

__ _ The last time he found his son like that he woke him up. He went over to the couch and pulled up the blanket on his son. He smiled and then headed upstairs. Theo watched him go, glad that Stiles still had his dad around. _

_ ♥♥ _ _ ♥ _ _ ♥♥ _

_     Two days later...Hayden was confirmed missing. The last time she was seen was at the Sinema the day Stiles had been there. She had finished her shift and headed home but she never made it. Now Liam was scared, so scared and worried about her.  _

_     At school Liam could barely focus. Stiles could see his worry and if he had supernatural powers he’d feel his worry on a whole new level. He felt bad for the kid and Stiles felt even worse since he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to make Liam feel any better.  _

_     At lunch Scott tried to talk to Liam. The rest of the pack tried but he didn’t wanna listen. If he had his way he wouldn’t even be in class, he’d be out looking for her. Stiles needed to say something so he followed Liam outside. They sat on the benches of the lacrosse field. Liam was quiet so Stiles was the first to speak. _

_ “We’ll find her.” Stiles said. _

_ “Scott said the same thing. And they don’t have any leads either. We went to the club but we couldn’t get her scent. There’s no trace of her.” _

_ “You can’t give up. You can’t lose hope.” _

_ Liam went quiet. “I already have an idea.” _

_ “You do?” _

_ “That killer…” _

_ “No. She’s not involved in that.” _

_ “The killer has been going after teenagers, she was alone…” _

_ “She’s not dead.” Stiles assured.  _

_ “Stiles she’s been missing for over 48 hours. I don’t-” _

_ “I’ll find her. I do these kind of things all the time.” _

_ “You’ll figure it out?” _

_ “Yes. She’s gonna be alright, I promise.” _

_ “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” _

_ ♥♥ _ _ ♥ _ _ ♥♥ _

__ _ At home Stiles paced in his room as Theo sat on the bed. He glanced at the board multiple times. He didn’t want to write her name on the board, he didn’t want to admit his worst fears. _

_ “So are you gonna write her name or should I?” Theo asked. _

_ “No. Her situation is unrelated.” _

_ “How do you know that?” _

_ “I don’t and I’m not ready to admit anything.” _

_ “Denial doesn’t get you anywhere.” _

_ “It’ll give me hope.” _

__ _ Stiles stopped pacing and sat down next to Theo. _

_ “Fine then but you can work on this tomorrow. You need to sleep.” Theo said  
_

_ “Yeah, I know.” _

__ _ Stiles prepared for bed and took a final glance at the board before closing his eyes. He quickly fell into his dreams but when he opened his eyes it became a nightmare. He was back in the dark place where he had been trapped by the metallic figures. He was about to scream and cry out in fear when he realized he wasn’t trapped.  _

__ _ He had been laying on the floor, left unattended. The surroundings were similar and he wondered why this time he wasn’t the main source of attention. His vision was still blurry and his head was foggy. But he needed to focus. If his dreams meant something then he had to pay attention, he had to figure out what this meant. _

__ _ Somehow he managed the strength to stand and he wandered around a bit. There was something familiar about the place, it may be in his dreams but there something more. Seeing the place up close just made it all the more terrifying. He was trying to learn, trying to figure this out when he heard a cry. _

__ _ Stiles didn’t know what it was but he heard it again and followed the noise. He was tripping again, feeling like he was fading. That obviously meant he was waking up. But he kept moving and turned a corner. There he saw something worse. _

__ _ The figures that had been haunting him were present before his eyes, except they didn’t notice him. They were focused on something, they were...experimenting on someone. Another innocent person strapped down to their surgery table. The face was blurry but the scream he heard was unmistakable. _

_     He stumbled back as the scream filled his ears and then slowly faded along with his vision. He pressed his hands against his ears, trying to drown out the screams but he soon lost all feeling and fell back. He never hit the ground but jolted up in his bed. _

_ “Stiles what did you see this time?” Theo asked. _

__ _ Stiles was panting in bed, sweat dripping off his forehead. Theo was worried like always but Stiles didn’t answer him right away. Instead he got out of bed and went to splash cold water in his face. Theo followed, keeping a close eye on him. _

_ “You saw them again right? Those figures that you saw at the club.” _

_ “Yes.” Stiles breathed out. “It was them.” _

_ “What did they do to you?” _

_ “Nothing. I wasn’t the one trapped, it was someone else.” _

_ “Someone else? Who?” _

_ “I heard them scream.” _

_ “Stiles who was screaming.” _

__ _ Stiles didn’t answer Theo’s question and just went back to his room. He grabbed a marker and  shakily wrote another name on the board. Theo watched Stiles and soon his eyes were filled with sorrow. _

_ “Hayden.” Theo said. “You saw her.” _

_ “I’m sorry Liam.” Stiles whispered. “I’m sorry.” _


	9. Chapter 9

__ _ The next morning Stiles prepared for the day, except he wasn’t himself. He was silent and moved around like a ghost. Theo couldn’t get a word out of him, so he just stayed quiet by his side. Stiles didn’t eat anything and just went straight down to the garage. _

__ _ The silence between them was eerie and Theo wished Stiles would talk to him. But he knew Stiles, if he pried things would only get worse. It didn’t take long for Theo to notice that Stiles wasn’t driving to school. And with everything that happened last night he knew where Stiles was going. _

__ _ Stiles parked his jeep at the police station and silently walked inside. All the deputies were busy so no one really notice him walk in. He headed straight for his dad’s office and just walked in. The Sheriff looked up and immediately noticed the dead look on his son’s face. _

_ “Stiles what’s-” _

_ “The nemeton.” Stiles said. “She’s at the nemeton.” _

_ “Who?” The Sheriff questioned. _

_ “Hayden.” _

_ “How do you know that?” _

_ “I...send a deputy out there.” _

_ “Stiles I can’t do that on a hunch.” _

_ “Then I’ll go with one of your deputies.” _

_ “Stiles-” _

_ “Dad.”  _

__ _ There was no sense of joy on Stiles’ face. He was dead serious and the Sheriff knew something was wrong. This wasn’t like any other time when his son wanted to help, this was different. _

__ _ He called in Parrish and told him to take Stiles to the nemeton. He would have questioned the Sheriff but when he saw Stiles’ face he decided against it. They both got into a police vehicle and went out into the woods. Stiles gave him directions in such a plain voice. _

__ _ On the ride Theo remained in the backseat staring at Stiles. He couldn’t describe how worried he was about him. This wasn’t really like him, not the way Scott and the others know him. Sometimes Stiles would glance in the rear view mirror to see Theo but he didn’t look long. _

__ _ When they arrived at the place Parrish was the first to get out of the car. Stiles didn’t want to because he already knew what was there, he didn’t want to see it. Over the radio Parrish called in for backup. He found Hayden’s body and a few others. Stiles closed his eyes and let a tear slide down his face. He whipped it away with his back hand and got out of the car. _

__ _ He was slow in approaching the nemeton. Just as he thought there was Hayden’s body. She lay on top of the trunk, her body in a position that would make you think she was sleeping. At her sides were the same black and white roses, she held a yellow one in her hand. Stiles’ legs gave out on him but Theo held him up. _

_ “I’m sorry Stiles.” Theo said. “But you have to remember this wasn’t your fault.” _

__ _ Stiles didn’t respond, he wanted to cry but he didn’t want to make a scene. It wasn’t long before more deputies came and his dad. The Sheriff told his son to stay in the car and wait till he could take him home. Stiles didn’t object and got in the car. He didn’t sit in the passenger seat but sat in the back with Theo. _

__ _ He didn’t speak but just laid down, resting his head on Theo’s lap. Theo didn’t speak either, knowing Stiles wanted the silence. He just brushed Stiles’ hair and whispered that everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t long before he heard Stiles trying to hold back his sobs. No matter what he said, Stiles felt guilty. _

__ _ A while later the Sheriff got into the car. He probably would have said something, but once he saw Stiles lying down in the back seat he just drove. There wasn’t really much to say and he knew it wasn’t the right time to ask his son how he knew about the body. He took his son home and when he parked the car in front of the house Stiles silently got out. _

__ _ He opened up the front door then turned back and waved at his dad. His dad smiled a bit then drove off heading back to work. Stiles went inside and locked the door behind him. He stood still for a bit before falling back against the door and sliding down to the floor. Stiles stayed silent then reached for his phone. His hands were shaking but he knew what he needed to do. He pushed a few buttons then pressed his phone to his ear. _

_ “Hello?” _

_ “I’m sorry Liam.” Stiles said. “She’s gone.” _

_ “What!” _

_ “I’m so sorry.” _

__ _ Stiles hung up the phone before he heard anything else. He really didn’t want to hear the other boy’s voice. His phone started ringing in his hand. It was Liam calling back but Stiles ignored it. But the ringing wouldn’t stop so Stiles threw his phone across the room. That’s when Theo noticed he was crying again. _

__ _ There wasn’t anything he could say so instead he just sat down next to Stiles. He couldn’t say something but he could at least let Stiles know he wasn’t alone. Stiles started sobbing again, placing the blame all on himself. Theo hated seeing him like this but he knew things would get better. _

__ _ After what was probably hours Stiles stopped crying. Without saying anything he got up and ran upstairs to his room. He took off his sweater and threw it on his desk. He stared at his board and all the evidence he had gathered. Theo didn’t say anything and just sat down on the bed. He watched the wheels turn in Stiles’ head, as he desperately tried to put all the pieces together. _

__ _ The truth was he couldn’t. After long silence Stiles began crying out in frustration. He hit the board nearly knocking it over and dropped to his knees. Theo stayed on the bed letting him hash this out. By now he knew what he needed to do but Stiles needed to let the frustration out first. _

_ “How! How can I not make sense of this.” Stiles screamed.  _

__ _ Theo got up from the bed and stood behind Stiles. He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. _

_ “Stiles you need to let this go. This case isn’t your responsibility.” Theo said. _

_ “It is.” Stiles responded. _

_ “Why? Stiles look at yourself, you’re a disaster because of it. You have to drop it.” _

__ _ Stiles jumped up to his feet and pushed Theo back in anger. _

_ “I am not letting this go.” He said in a menacing tone.  _

_ “And why not?” _

_ “I can’t! Maybe before I could but now it’s personal. This killer got to Hayden.” _

_ “But you barely knew her?” _

_ “Yeah, but Liam is broken up about it and he’s part of the pack, so this is my responsibility.” _

_ “It’s not.” _

_ “It is.” _

_ “Stop it Stiles!” Theo shouted. “This is not your job, so please explain to me why you insist on tearing yourself apart over this.” _

_ “Because it’s all I can do!” Stiles snapped. _

__ _ He turned away and looked at the board before slightly leaning against it. He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. _

_ “I...I’m not like the others. I don’t have heightened senses or super strength or fast healing. I’m just human, a useless, fragile human. Figuring this out, it’s all I can do to help.” _

_ “That’s your problem.” Theo said. _

_ “Huh?” _

_ “You’re so desperate to solve this, but not for you. You want to solve this for the pack which is what’s holding you back.” _

_ “I don’t-” _

_ “You can figure this out if you forget about Scott and his pack. Put the pieces together for your own reasons, make this your case and solve it with the sole purpose of catching this killer, not for anyone else.” _

_ “I-” _

_ “You can.” _

__ _ Stiles didn’t say anything and slipped down to the floor. He fell onto his knees and looked up at his board. Theo was right, if he did this for someone else he’d never figure it out. He had to look at this with no attachments. _

_ “The roses.” Stiles mumbled after a while.  
_

_ “What about them?” _

_ “They’re the biggest clue.” _

_ “So then what’s the connection.” _

_ “All four victims were students at Beacon Hills High, each were found in different locations.” _

_ “So do the victims themselves mean anything?” Theo asked. _

_ “Not necessarily.” _

_ “So then the roses-” _

_ “Tell you everything, but I don’t know.” _

_ “You do. What do the roses mean.” _

__ _ Stiles stared at the board intently, forcing himself to focus and then it hit him. It was all about meaning. _

_ “Roses...each color has a meaning, it’s why there are so many colors.” _

_ “Okay so what do the colors mean.” _

_ “Each victim has a black rose with them, those tend to mean death.” _

_ “That’s self explanatory.” _

_ “But each victim also has a white one. White symbolizes a new beginning.” _

_ “Only Tracy has those two, everyone else has a third.” _

_ “That’s because she was the first. Tracy was hard working and stressed herself out a lot over school. She even had troubles sleeping. Death would be a release from all her suffering.” _

_ “Okay then, next is Josh, he had a pink rose with him.” _

_ “Appreciation. He was always seen as a loner, he was really smart actually, good grades and great behavior. It was that no one ever really noticed him, he didn’t really even have friends. He wasn’t appreciated for who he was.” _

_ “Alright, Corey, red. I know that one means love.” _

_ “Yeah...but he didn’t have much of that. His parents didn’t show him much affection and he may have had a boyfriend but he wasn’t always around. Corey didn’t have much real love in his life, he would smile often but he was lonely at heart.” _

_ “So, what about Hayden?” Theo asked hesitating a bit. _

_ “Yellow, it means good health. Hayden takes pills for her kidneys, it’s a lot of money which is why she works at the Sinema, to help her sister pay for them. She works hard too, doing her best to keep her sister happy and herself healthy, no matter the cost.” _

_ “Then what are we dealing with?” _

_ “A sociopath.” Stiles said looking away from the board. “These killings, they’re mercy killings. That’s the pattern, in the eyes of the killer he’s setting these kids free, saving them from the pain of their own lives.” _

__ _ He did it, he figure it out but at what cost. Maybe he would be better off not knowing what he did now. But then something hit him. How did he know all those things about the victims, all he really knew were their names and records. Just as he started to think about that he heard clapping.  _

__ _ Stiles slowly turned around to look at Theo. He was the one clapping but when he saw his face he jumped and backed away. Theo was different, his face was pale and he had bags under his eyes, he looked like the Nogitsune. _

_ “Theo?” Stiles questioned, his voice cracking. _

_ “It didn’t take you so long to figure it out when you forgot about Scott and the pack did it. They’ve just been holding you back this whole time haven’t they, specifically Scott.” _

_ “What is this? You…” _

_ “It’s me Stiles and it’s you. Come on think about it, all those dreams you’ve been having about those metallic figures. They’re called the Dread Doctors by the way and they’re very interested in you.” _

_ “No...this...this isn’t real.” _

_ “Oh it is, think Stiles, remember.” _

_ “I-” _

__ _ Before Stiles could finish he screamed and pressed his hands against his head. Flashes of memories began to come forward and it seemed like he was unwillingly being pulled into them. He saw Tracy down in the school basement, she was walking towards him and she looked like she was in a trance. _

__ _ When she got close Stiles...no, he saw Theo, Theo grabbed her and jabbed a needle into her neck. He injected the mercury into her and watched her fall to the ground. She twitched for a bit before becoming still. When Theo turned around the figures...the Dread Doctors were there. _

__ _ They looked at Tracy then nodded before fading away. Theo got down to Tracy’s body and pulled out a knife. He began cutting into her face, tearing off pieces. Then when her face was bloody he reached into his jacket and pulled out two roses, a black one and white one. _

__ _ Then Stiles’ memory shifted elsewhere. He saw Theo on the roof of the hospital with Josh. The other boy was attacking Theo but in the end Theo won. Josh was thrown against the electrical fence and Theo injected him with mercury. _

_ ‘Failure.’ He blankly mumbled and let Josh’s body fall to the floor. _

__ _ Theo did the same to his body as he did with Tracy, cutting it up and then leaving roses, but for Josh he also left a pink one. And Stiles saw a similar situation with Corey. The boy ran through the back of the hospital where the ambulances were parked trying to hide but Theo caught him and did the same. He made the body bloody and left the roses, a red one for Corey. _

__ _ But Hayden was different. He saw Theo outside the club watching all those who came out, waiting. When Hayden came out Theo followed her, she didn’t suspect anything till he had a rag over her mouth and was dragging her away. He placed her unconscious body in the back of the car and drove off. _

__ _ He took her to the Dread Doctor's lair and placed her on the surgery table, laying her on her stomach. He strapped her down as she began to wake up, crying and begging to be let go. But Theo didn’t listen. Through all the killings he had a blank expression on his face as if he too was in a trance. He walked to the back where the Dread Doctors were waiting, Hayden’s cries for help could still be heard. _

_ ‘Your condition improves.’ One of the doctors said. _

__ _ They stepped forward and two of them grabbed Theo. The other brought forward a syringe with a green liquid. One of the doctors holding him grabbed his head, moving it back and to the side, exposing his neck. He still had that trance look in his eyes as he was injected with that stuff. _

__ _ When the needle was removed Theo fell to the floor staring blankly at nothing. The Dread Doctors stared at him for a while before heading towards where Hayden was tied down. She kept screaming as the Dread Doctors experiment on her till she was declared a failure. She died like the others. _

__ _ Around the end of Hayden’s life Theo had been in the room. Just silently and blankly standing off in the corner. Once Hayden was dead Theo was ordered to dispose of the body and he did, without question. He untied Hayden’s body and carried it away. _

__ _ He went out into the woods heading towards the nemeton. Bodies surrounded the tree trunk and he placed Hayden’s on top of it. He placed the roses for Hayden and added a yellow one for her. Then he turned and walked away, showing no emotion at all.  _

_     As Theo walked away everything began to fade for Stiles. Then he was back on the floor of his room, panting, his body drench in sweat. Theo still stood above him looking like the Nogitsune and laughing. _

_ “How was that?” He asked with a smile. _

_ “You...you're the killer.” Stiles breathed out. _

_ “No, no, no, Stiles. Come on think harder. I didn’t do it, in case you forgot I am you, just another version, the better version. That’s what I really am to you, that’s what I became. You only think I’m the killer because you don’t want to see yourself doing those horrendous acts. But come on Stiles you know better.” Theo got down to Stiles’ level. “Think. I asked you before why you brought me back because after the Nogitsune you sent me away but I came back. Tell me why.” _

__ _ Stiles had closed his eyes not wanting to see this twisted version of Theo. He was definitely losing it if his own imaginary friend had turned on him and making him hallucinate. But like before he unwillingly slipped into another memory. _

__ _ He was running in the school, running from someone. He went into the library and looked for somewhere to hide before his chaser arrived. When the other person came into the library Stiles was already hiding and before him was Donovan. The boy came after Stiles looking to get revenge on his father. _

__ _ The other boy was armed with a big knife, planning on stabbing Stiles, to bring him to the edge of death and leave some scars. Stiles stayed quiet but he was discovered. He fought of Donovan with his wrench and began climbing the scaffolding in the library. As he neared the top he pulled a small pin and watched the metal braces fall down. _

__ _ When Stiles looked down he saw that one of them had impaled Donovan. He climbed down and looked at the boy, watched as he struggled. Stiles walked over to him and grabbed the metal brace, twisting it to cause Donovan pain. And then the life faded from his eyes. Stiles stayed where he was looking at the dead boy. _

_ “It felt good didn’t it.” _

__ _ Stiles let go of the brace and looked back to see Theo leaning against the scaffolding. He smirked and walked over to Stiles. He placed his hand on his shoulders and looked at him with such joy. _

_ “That was fun. The way you grabbed the brace and killed him. Gave you a rush of power didn’t it.” _

_ “Yeah.” Stiles said as if he was under a spell. “It did.” _

_ “Well I think we better dispose of the body before someone finds out.” _

_ “Yeah.” _ __

__ _ Stiles stayed put for a while before turning around to leave but when he looked back he realized he wasn’t alone. Three figures stood before him, the Dread Doctors.  _

_ ‘His condition looks promising’ One of them said. _

__ _ They moved forward and two of them grabbed Stiles. He struggled in their grip but they were way stronger than he was. The other one revealed a syringe and jabbed the needle into his neck. Stiles screamed but there was no one around to hear him. When the needle was pulled out Stiles' legs gave out. _

__ _ He would have fallen to the floor if the other two hadn’t been holding him. They held him up and then began dragging him away. As they carried him through the halls of the school his environment began to change. One second the walls were lined with lockers the next there were pipes.  _

__ _ Everything after that became a blur for Stiles. The next morning he was back home and a few days later Donovan was reported missing. Stiles never thought much about it after that. But Donovan was found again, weeks later with the other bodies at the nemeton. Stiles opened his eyes and he was back home with Nogitsune Theo still in his face, that grin still present. _

_ “Donovan right?” Theo said. “You killed him, he was impaled by accident but grabbing the brace and playing with it only killed him faster. The Dread Doctors could sense your power and they wanted it. They took care of Donovan for you but my gosh the things you’ve done.” _

_ “No...this can’t be true. It’s not real.” _

_ “It is Stiles. You see when you first made me I really was around to help you with the trauma but over time things changed.” _

__ _ Stiles tried looking away but Theo grabbed his chin and turned his head to face him. _

_ “I don’t help you with the trauma Stiles, I am the trauma. Every bad thought, every twisted fantasy, every dark idea, I’m it. And you said it yourself, I’m the better version of you, the darker version. You know that when you give into your power and when you forget about Scott and his morals you become me, you become better.” _

_ “Stop it...please.” _

_ “It’s the truth Stiles. You told me you missed me, you missed the darkness because you know it makes you better, because you love it. You try to be a good boy for Scott but where has it gotten you, nowhere.” _

_ “Theo please.” Stiles was crying now. _

_ “Scott hasn’t done anything for you and you’ve said it before, to him you’re useless, you’re fragile. But when you forget about him you are better and more powerful. The Dread Doctors see what you’re capable of, I see it. And deep down you know that the Void version of you is who you need to be, who you really want to be. You love me Stiles. You love the darkness and the power. You can have it all, you just have to let it in, accept it and you will know freedom.” _

__ _ Theo let Stiles go and stood up. He pointed to the board. _

_ “You solved this in seconds when you let go of the Stiles you pretend to be for Scott. You left no evidence at all the crimes scenes, heck you’re far from being a suspect. You’re clever, way too clever for Scott to ever notice, but I see it. I see you for who you really are and you see it too, every time you look at me. Stop fighting this Stiles, stop fighting me and see the world as it is to the real you.” _

__ _ The memory flashes returned and Stiles saw all the murders again, except this time he didn’t see Theo, this time it was him. He saw himself inject mercury into the victims, remembered as he cut into their flesh, as he left the roses on their corpses and made sure to destroy any piece of evidence. _

__ _ He saw the blankness in his eyes as he committed these crimes, every now and then the blank face replaced with a devilish smile. He remembered the day he had called in sick, Tracy died that day. Theo did his laundry but in reality he did it himself. He had to in order to wash the blood off his clothes. _

__ _ The bubble bath Theo had given him after a night in the Sinema. That night he had gone after Corey and Theo didn’t put colors in the bath, the pink was the blood washed from his body mixed with water and soap. He saw himself taking Hayden’s body to the Dread Doctors.  _

_     He let himself become one of the Dread Doctor's experiments, because he felt powerful and fearless. They awakened his potential and developed it. Made Stiles into what he really was meant to be, a trickster. And that realization made him smile.  _

_     Stiles settled back into the present, no longer feeling afraid. He opened his eyes and stood up. Theo was smiling at him, glad is boy finally understood. Stiles got closer to him and stood in front of him. _

_ “You’re me.” Stiles said. “The darker version.” _

_ “The better version.” _

_ “The version of me who doesn’t need to rely on anyone.” _

_ “You can take care of yourself Stiles. You’ve always had the power in you, I’m just glad you're finally accepting it.” _

_ “Me too.” _

__ _ Stiles pulled Theo close and pressed his lips to his. He could feel as something within him changed, as a new feeling of power grew. No more relying on Scott, no more being put off to the side, no more feeling useless. When he pulled away from Theo, he smiled. _

_ “I love you Theo.” _

_ “I love you too Stiles.” _

_ “Now how about we go have some fun.” _

_ “Sounds good to me.” _

♥♥ ♥ ♥♥

Theo silently walked through the tunnels heading towards the Dread Doctor's lair. It was early in the morning and he should be heading to school but he had something else to do first. When he got into the lair he went towards the back. 

He dropped his backpack by the surgery table and walked over to the other side. He grabbed the IV and replaced it with a new one. Once he made sure it was working he moved on. He went over to a smaller table with a bunch of surgical tools looking for a syringe. When he found it he stood by the body of the person strapped down to the table. 

    Theo smiled and then carefully inserted the needle into the person’s neck. He was gentle then injected the green liquid into their body. When that was done he carefully removed the needle and place the syringe back on the other table. When he looked off to the side he saw the Dread Doctors standing there. They didn’t say anything but Theo knew what they were thinking.

“This takes time, but it’ll be worth it in the end. Because then we’ll both have what we want.” Theo said.

“His condition improves greatly.” The Surgeon added.  


“It’s always improving, I mean he was meant to be another one of your successes.” 

“Affirmative.”

The Doctors disappeared from view leaving Theo alone once again. He grabbed his backpack from the floor then glanced at Stiles sleeping on the table. He ran his fingers through his hair, taking in the boy’s scent. He loved seeing Stiles sleep, there was such peaceful look on his face. 

    Theo wished he could stay with him but Stiles would make him go to school. He adjusted the grip on his backpack and leaned down to kiss Stiles’ forehead. He ruffled his hair one more time before heading off.

“Sweet dreams Stiles.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and ta-da, bet you didn't see that coming now did you. So just to clear things up a bit this whole entire story is Stiles' dream (hence why the story is all in italics till the end). In reality Theo has Stiles in the Dread Doctors lair, using some of their stuff to keep Stiles in a comma like state while he dreams. Why you might ask yourself, well why don't you head on over and read the first chapter of the second part titled 'Broken' and this story is the first part of the series "Handle With Care" I hope you've all enjoyed the first part and like the second one so far. Thanks again for reading, I love you all.


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